Detectives have teamed up with investigators from the Health and Safety Executive to look into a building collapse which killed a builder in a Fulham basement.
Cutting-edge technology has been brought in to investigate the death of Anghel Milosavlevici, who was working on an excavation of the terraced home in Ellerby Street when the ground floor caved in on him on December 2.
The 37-year-old Romanian died at the scene, but his body could not be recovered until the following day due to fears about a further collapse.
Police and investigators have now launched a complex examination of the site, dubbed Operation Chamberlain, that is likely to take weeks.
Specialist equipment was brought in to document the scene immediately after the incident, including a 360-degree camera similar to that used by Google when recording images of city streets, and a laser scanner which will allow for computer modelling of the basement.
The area has now been filled with tons of concrete to ensure the safety of inspectors, who will carry out a forensic excavation.
Structural engineers and experts from the Met's specialist crime directorate and property services department are working alongside Health and Safety Executive staff and local detectives, who will lead the operation from Hammersmith police station.
Detective Inspector Tony Murphy said: "This will be a complex and unavoidably lengthy investigation. The situation at the incident scene has proved very challenging.
"It is a top priority for us to forensically excavate the collapsed area inside the house to find out exactly what happened there, but safety is paramount, and before we can begin we have had to pour some 60 cubic metres of a special lightweight but strong concrete into the existing excavations to make absolutely sure everything is stable.
"This preparatory work has been completed successfully and we hope to begin the excavation work almost immediately."
Mr Milosavlevici was employed by Hertford-based Siday Construction Ltd to carry out the basement work.
Richard Boland, head of operations for the Health and Safety Executive in London, said: "Whilst it is too early to comment on what happened at this particular site, I want to stress that there is no excuse for anyone building a basement not to seek expert advice, for example from a structural engineer, about appropriate protective measures to support the excavation and the structure.
"Where we find that work is taking place without this, we will take robust enforcement action and where fatalities occur we will work closely with the police to bring more serious charges where appropriate."
Anyone with concerns about unsafe practices can report them in confidence to the Health and Safety Executive on 0845 345 0055.
