Two individuals lost their lives in a tragic fire incident at a working men’s club when a patron accidentally ignited a gas canister with a lighter, according to details revealed at an inquest. Philip Townsend, aged 70, and John McCartney, aged 60, perished in the blaze at Gordon Working Men’s Club in Morecambe in October 2019 due to smoke inhalation after becoming trapped inside the establishment.
The inquest into the deaths of John, also known as Johnny, and Philip, who was nicknamed Tony T, commenced in 2023 but was later postponed, as explained to jurors at a subsequent inquest. The coroner cautioned against drawing conclusions from the adjournment, stating that inquests can be delayed for various reasons. The fire was triggered when Johnny, a cleaner at the club, inadvertently ignited a gas canister with his lighter, which was used in conjunction with an Aldi heater.
Detective Chief Inspector Abigail Finch-Hall disclosed that Johnny had a tendency to play with his lighter in a flicking motion. Witnesses observed him engaging in this behavior, leading investigators to believe that he ignited the gas canister using the lighter. Subsequently, he attempted to exit the building with the canister in hand, but the fire impeded his escape, resulting in him being pulled back.
Julie Galbraith, a regular at the bar who was present during the fire, recounted how she had cautioned Johnny multiple times about the dangers of his actions, to which he nonchalantly responded that he tended to forget things. She vividly described the sequence of events leading up to the fatal fire incident.
The working men’s club was situated in a property owned by Gillnell, a London-based property investment firm managed by Blake and Petronella Weltman, with additional properties in Burnley, Nelson, and Barrow-in-Furness. Heather Goffin served as the licensee, while her son Callum was the sole director of the limited company overseeing the club’s operations.
The tragic incident unfolded rapidly, as captured by CCTV footage presented during the trial, showing the swift escalation of events that led to the untimely deaths of the two men. Eyewitness testimonies shed light on the moments preceding the fire outbreak, highlighting the challenges faced by patrons and staff in attempting to escape the engulfing flames.
Investigations into the fire incident revealed concerning safety lapses, including issues related to the fire exit doors and the absence of a fire risk assessment within the premises. The difficulties encountered by individuals attempting to exit the building during the emergency underscored the critical need for enhanced safety protocols and structural improvements.
The ongoing inquest, located at County Hall in Preston and projected to span five days, continues to unravel the circumstances surrounding the tragic fire incident at the working men’s club, shedding light on the sequence of events that led to the loss of two lives.
