A 24-year-old workman who was in a life-threatening condition after an electrical explosion is now recovering in hospital.

The Selwood Plant and Plumb worker was taken to hospital with head and arm injuries following the explosion on March 19, at the junction of Cleveland Road and Kingston Road, New Malden.

This morning, a Kingston police spokesman said: “He is no longer deemed as critical and he is now conscious.”

The Selwood employee, who was working on behalf of Thames Water to repair a collapsed sewer by digging up the side of Kingston Road, was injured following what is thought to be an explosion of a junction box.

A Thames Water spokesman said: “The injured contractor is in a stable condition in hospital.

“We are co-operating fully with the police and Health and Safety Executive.”

Health and safety officers from Kingston Council and Selwood senior management team will be conducting investigations into the matter.

Surrey Comet chief reporter, David Lindsell, was at the scene on Friday morning.

He said: “Cleveland Road, next to the Barratts Home-owned derelict petrol station, had been closed off to make an impromptu base for what appear to be electrical generators, work vans and replacement sewage pipes.

“Engineers from Selwood opened one of the power generators and took photographs of the inside.

“On the right hand side of one of the generators there is a small pool of blood where the man is believed to have been injured.

“In front of the generators, there is an unravelled bandage with blood on it, a pair of boots and a first aid kit.”