These photos show how old safes were removed from the former Ipswich Co-op HQ in Carr Street before its conversion into homes.

A total of 13 safes were removed from the former banking hall and strong room in Carr House, which has now been turned into luxury apartments with retail units below.

Developer Joe Fogel said: "It was a lot of work and took about three months of planning. At first we couldn't find anyone to take on the work, because it was so specialised."

He said the usual method for this type of operation would be to take the roof off a building so the crane could get in from above.

However, this was not appropriate with the Victorian Carr House building, and a specialist contractor had to use cranes coming in through the window instead.

Removing the heaviest safes from the former cash office, where Co-op customers used to collect their "divi", was the most difficult part of the operation.

The project to transform the former HQ, carried out by Mr Fogel’s House Group and main contractor TLC Home Group, is now nearing completion, and all the homes have been let.

Meanwhile, permission has been given for demolition of the main department store building, to make way for the new Central Ipswich Primary School.