8 July 2012 Last updated at 07:04 ET

Massey Ferguson tower in Coventry demolished

The 16-storey tower will make way for new housing.

A tower block on the outskirts of Coventry has been blown up to make way for new homes.

The former Massey Ferguson tower on Banner Lane, Tile Hill, was demolished in a controlled explosion.

The 16-storey tower, built in the 1960s, closed with the factory in 2003.

Coventry City Council streamed footage of the demolition. About 700 holes were drilled in the tower and filled with explosives. The building went down about noon.

Up to 150 people were earlier evacuated from 66 properties near the site.

The Lord Mayor of Coventry, councillor Tim Sawdon, and a six-year-old girl called Daisy, representing the Acorns charity, pressed the plunger.

Richard Oldroyd, of developer Persimmon Homes South Midlands, said 1,000 homes will have been built on the old tractor factory site when the area has been fully developed.

The land is also expected to form part of the site for a new primary school and playing field.