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Two men lost their lives in a blazing gentleman’s club after a pub-goer ignited a lighter next to a heater, leading to a catastrophic fire, an inquest has revealed.
Philip Townsend, 70, and John McCartney, 60, both perished in the tragic fire at a working men's club in October 2019.
Two men perished in a fire at a gentleman’s club after a pub-goer ignited a lighter next to a heater, an inquest has revealedCredit: MEN Media
Philip Townsend, 70, and John McCartney, 60, both died at the social club in Morecambe in 2019Credit: PA: Press Association
They were reportedly trapped inside and succumbed to smoke inhalationCredit: PA: Press Association
The two men tragically succumbed to smoke inhalation after becoming trapped inside Gordon Working Men’s Club on October 9.
According to LancsLive , an inquest revealed that John, also known as Johnny, who worked as a cleaner at the club, flicked his lighter next to a gas canister used for heating, which caused it to ignite.
Detective Chief Inspector Abigail Finch-Hall informed the jury that it is believed he “opened the gas canister and used the lighter to ignite it.”
“He then picked up the canister and attempted to exit the building, but the flames forced him back,” she added.
Both Johnny and Philip, affectionately known as Tony T, were rescued from the fire by firefighters, but unfortunately, they could not be revived and passed away shortly thereafter.
Ten fire engines and ambulances rushed to the scene of the two-story building after it erupted into flames.
Regular patron Julie Galbraith described Johnny as a “good soul” who often did “silly things”—he had a tendency to play with his lighter.
She mentioned that she had cautioned him “on more than one occasion” that he might “blow himself up, or endanger the rest of us” after witnessing him flicking a lighter near the top of the gas canister.
Galbraith recounted how she saw Tony sitting in a corner when she noticed a “flash coming from the next room near the entrance door,” with Johnny standing beside the ignited canister.
“I screamed at him, ‘it’s going to’ but before I could finish with ‘blow up,’ flames erupted, and Johnny was engulfed,” she added.
The jury was shown disturbing CCTV footage of the fire, where the club was filled with smoke less than a minute after the gas canister ignited.
In a state of panic, customers rushed to the exits, attempting to escape through the fire door as smoke poured into the snooker room from the bar area.
The screen went black, obscured by smoke, yet customers were still seen moving around.
One patron reported hearing someone exclaim, “Johnny, what the f*** are you doing?” before witnessing him “leaning over and flicking his lighter.”
Heather Goffin and her son, Callum Goffin, managed the social club and were sentenced in 2023 for violations of fire safety regulations.
Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service discovered several breaches following the incident, including the use of a fan heater with liquefied petroleum gas.
They also found that safe evacuation from the club was impossible due to a locked external security door that prevented the fire exit from fully opening.
During the inquest, DCI Finch-Hall remarked that the fire exit, consisting of two doors, was “unusual,” and the jury would evaluate evidence regarding their “appropriateness.”
The outer doors were closed on the day of the tragic fire, which hindered Tony’s escape from the burning building.
His body was located by firefighters between the two doors, while Johnny was found at the top of the ramp leading into the club’s snooker area.
Other customers managed to flee through a kitchen door at the back of the building.
The inquest in Preston is ongoing and is expected to last for five days.
A number of fire safety violations were identified in the aftermath 
