Hydro Finds Time For Fire-Fighting

The blaze that started in the roof space of the 12,000-capacity seated venue June 8 is believed to have done about £5 million worth of damage.

Scottish newspapers originally reported that the opening might be delayed, but John Sharkey, chief executive of the venue operators SECC, said he had no plans to reschedule dates.

“At the moment, we are not even looking at that. We are just looking at getting the building finished,” he told the Scottish Herald. “As things stand at the moment there is a lot to do but we are not cancelling the opener because we think we can do it.

“There has been a hell of a lot done in a short period of time. It is still moving at pace,” he said. The damage, which is believed to have been caused by sparks from welding work on the roof, was not as severe as first feared.