When 28-year-old Claire Brooks sounded a signal, the twin cooling towers, which have loomed over the M1 motorway since 1938, came crashing down.

Over 10,000 people gathered to watch the dramatic demolition of the 250ft structures in the early hours of Sunday morning.

"It was just unreal watching them come down. It was an amazing experience and certainly not one I will forget," she said.

"My legs were shaking and I just couldn't believe I got the chance to do it. I had absolutely no idea what to expect before I arrived there."

As the towers crumbled to the ground, they marked the end of years of discussion and protest from people wanting to preserve what is considered to be a landmark to the region's industrial past.

But energy company E.ON, who own the towers, said the structure was unsafe and would have cost a huge investment to keep standing.

The stylist at 442 Salon on Clarence Road, who is from Hunters Close in Dinnington, won the chance to take part in the historic moment when she entered a competition on Galaxy radio.

"They told me I had won last Friday and I had to be at a specially set-up centre overlooking the site at about 1.30am."

"I wasn't allowed to actually go on the site because they said it was too dangerous to get too close but I sounded an air horn, which signalled them to set off the explosives."

"I ate a lot of coffee and chocolate to keep me awake and I was really nervous beforehand."

Entertained in a VIP lounge overlooking the towers for the evening, Claire was also presented with a bouquet of flowers, a bottle of wine and a £50 Meadowhall voucher.

"It was a really strange feeling and so many people were there watching."

"The south tower came down straight away but the north tower was still left standing when I left to go home at about 5am."

"Everyone's been saying to me that I've got my name in the history books now and I was told that they're thinking about putting my name on a plaque to commemorate the fact that I'm the one who set off the explosions."

It is said that a £60 million biomass power station generating renewable energy will be built on the former site of the towers.