VIDEO: Watch as 60 tonnes of concrete is removed from huge Sheffield sinkhole

The van-sized crater appeared in the car park of the Decathlon store in Eyre Street on the evening of January 16, sending an estimated 60 tonnes of concrete crashing into the underground stream below.

The Environment Agency teamed up with contractors brought in by the sports retailer the following day to clear the rubble from the Porter Brook, which it claimed had posed a potential flood risk.

It has now published this video showing the scale of the operation required to clear the mess, which involved specialist machinery needed to break up and remove concrete blocks from the culvert.

Adam Bayliss, of the Environment Agency, who compiled the video montage, said: "We had reports of a collapsed culvert which Porter Brook ran through on private land. We estimated 60-plus tonnes of concrete had fallen into the river which posed a potential flood risk for local businesses and property.

"Working with contractors and landowners we quickly responded to reduce the flood risk using specialist equipment.

"The obstruction has been removed and our Partnership and Strategic Overview (PSO) team is now working closely with the landowner ‎to get the culvert repaired as quickly as possible.

"The area is safe and the risk to the public has been minimised by segregating the area."

Mr Bayliss added that responsibility for the site now rested with Decathlon, which owns the land, and it was up to the company to investigate the cause of the collapse.

He said the area where the sinkhole appeared remains cordoned off, although the store and car park are now open as normal.

The Star has contacted Decathlon.

The sinkhole at Decathlon was not the first to have opened up in Sheffield.

In April last year, a large hole more than 20ft deep appeared in Hutcliffe Wood Road, which links the suburbs of Woodseats and Millhouses. It was apparently caused by collapsed old mine workings.

A month later, another steaming hole appeared in Pond Street in the city centre. This was caused by a burst heating pipe.

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