Abseiling engineers could return to Sheffield's tallest building to check on loose cladding

Arundel Gate was closed from around midnight on Wednesday following a report that a panel of cladding was loose on the 31st floor of St Paul's Tower Loft building.

Bus services were forced to divert during the morning rush-hour as brave engineers abeiled down the building and carried out an assessment.

Sheffield Council said the repairs were carried out and the road reopened at around 12.30pm but added engineers may return to the site to carry out follow-up checks.

The £40 million tower is the tallest building in Sheffield sitting at 101m.

The 32-storey tower was completed in August 2010 as part of the St Paul's Place development, which includes the Q Park multi-storey car park, casino and three office blocks.

Coun Jack Scott, Cabinet member for transport and development, told a meeting of the full council yesterday: "We were alerted about the potential loose cladding by residents who could hear it banging due to the high winds.

"Nothing has fallen from the building at all. Following an inspection, it was decided to declare an exclusion zone and bring in a special abseiling team.

"We are sorry for the inconvenience but it was unavoidable. We know it prevented many people from getting to work and had a significant impact on public transport.

"We will be undertaking some further work to check this is not a more systematic issue. This was related to a single pane and there is no cause for alarm but further work will reassure people."