AN investigation into the devastating fire which destroyed an iconic Barrow building has been concluded and police have said there is no evidence of any criminal activity - despite petrol being found in the upper floor.

The evening of Wednesday January 11 will be one that many in Barrow will remember forever after the town was left blanketed in a thick cloud of smoke when a huge fire broke out at the House of Lords.

Emergency services were called to the Grade II-listed building just before 9pm and despite more than 60 firefighters tackling the blaze, the flames took little time in tearing through the building.

Crews from Barrow, Walney, Millom, Ulverston, Grange, Windermere, Bootle, Arnside and even Lancaster spent hours trying to put the fire out and as the sun rose the following day, the iconic building was left resembling a burnt-out shell of its former self.

The speed at which the fire took hold, and the discovery of petrol in an upstairs room where it started, quickly led to suspicions of foul play and an official investigation was launched.

The fire investigation was led by Cumbria Fire and Rescue Service station manager Roger Exley. His task was simply to attempt to identify the cause of the fire, and not to apportion any blame or identify any criminal activity.


Speaking to The Mail, Mr Exley said that being unable to rule out the possibility of an electrical source of ignition meant he had been unable to identify a single, attributable cause.

"Our job is to determine the cause of the fire and to identify what sources of ignition could be responsible," Mr Exley said.

"We then reach a conclusion by ruling out possible sources of ignition, with the intention of being left with one ignition source, but because the fuse box was so badly damaged we were unable to discount a short circuit or electrical overload."

The fire investigation report was then passed on to police, who attempted to ascertain if there was any evidence of arson or negligence.

After months of digging through remains, scouring CCTV footage and interviewing witnesses, police have now concluded there is no evidence of any criminal involvement.

Furthermore, they added that a plausible explanation had been given for why petrol had been in the building.

Despite the lack of evidence however, Mr Exley said arson still remained a possibility.

He said: "Because of the nature and speed at which the fire spread and progressed, there is the potential for it to have been deliberate. However, unless any new evidence comes to light, if the police have said the investigation is concluded, then that is the end of it."

With the investigation now at an end, the report will be passed to the insurance company, who will consider whether or not to pay out based on the policy in place.

It is not known how long this will take, but no action will be taken to demolish or restore the building until a decision is made.

HOUSE OF LORDS FIRE: A timeline

WEDNESDAY JANUARY 11, 2017: A 999 call is made shortly before 9pm after the fire breaks out.

JANUARY 12: Police join the fire investigation and launch an appeal for witnesses

JANUARY 17: The founders of the Barrow R&B Club announce its demise following the loss of their venue at Bar Conti.

JANUARY 23: House of Lords' owner Roger McKimm speaks to The Mail from Australia about the fire.

JANUARY 24: Structural engineers visit the site to assess the building.

JANUARY 27: Scaffolding is used to shore up the front of the House of Lords to prevent collapse.

JANUARY 31: Abbey Road partly reopens to allow traffic to travel south towards the town centre.

APRIL 4: The Mail reveals the fire investigation has identified petrol near to the source of the blaze in the upper floor of the building.

MAY 17: One lane of the northbound carriageway of Abbey Road finally reopens.

JUNE 21: Police confirm the investigation has concluded and the cause of the fire is undeterminable.