Locked fire exit played part in deaths of two men killed in blaze at Morecambe Working Men's Club, jury finds
A locked fire exit played a part in the deaths of two men killed in a blaze at a Lancashire club, a jury has ruled.
John McCartney and Philip "Tony" Townsend died after fire engulfed the Gordon Working Men's Club in Morecambe in 2019.
The inquest at County Hall, Preston, heard that Mr McCartney ignited a gas canister in the darts area with his cigarette lighter.
Flames and thick smoke engulfed the club, and as customers fled they could not get out of a fire exit, which was bolted shut.
Mr McCartney, aged 60, and Mr Townsend, aged 70, were rescued from the building by firemen but later died.
After a four-day hearing, the jury returned a narrative verdict.
It found that the inaccessible fire door, storage and use of gas canisters to heat the building, and lack of a fire evacuation plan at the club contributed to both men's deaths.
The inquest was told that Mr McCartney, a cleaner at the venue, was always "playing with his lighter".
After Mr McCartney was seen flicking his lighter near a gas canister, there was a "fireball". He attempted to take the cylinder outside, but failed and the building filled with smoke.
Customers at the club, run by Heather Goffin and her son Callum, found they could not get out of a fire exit. The fire door moved but there was an outer door that was bolted shut.
Customers escaped through the kitchen, but Mr McCartney and Mr Townsend collapsed inside.
Both men died from smoke inhalation. Mr Townsend was found slumped next to the fire door, which could not be opened.
The jury found that relating to both men's deaths, Mr McCartney's lighter was the cause of the blaze, and the fire door, storage and use of gas canisters, and the lack of a fire evacuation plan at the club all contributed to the tragedy.
The hearing was told that criminal proceedings had been taken against Ms Goffin and her son.
Coroner Chris Long also demanded a response from Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service about evidence given to the inquest that an officer saw a space heater in use in the club in 2016.
Having been assured by Ms Goffin that it was a "short term" measure, no further action was taken.
Mr Long said he was seeking assurances from LFRS that where there was an obvious risk, the use of appliances like that would not be allowed to continue.