Man arrested over porn club deaths

A MAN was arrested last night in connection with the arson at a pornographic film club which led to the deaths of eight men, writes Will Bennett. Scotland Yard said a 34- year-old of no fixed abode walked into Walthamstow police station, east London, 'voluntarily and on his own'.

The inadequacy of the law dealing with private cinema clubs was highlighted yesterday when Islington council admitted it knew about Dream City, near Smithfield market. Officials said that because they had not had a complaint and because resources were overstretched they had not inspected it since the club's second prosecution for admitting non-members in 1990.

The London Fire and Civil Defence Authority and the Metropolitan Police also knew about the club. But none of the authorities was required to inspect it and could close it only in exceptional circumstances.

Five of the victims were named yesterday as: Maurice Payne, 54, of Gravesend, Kent; Lewis Barber, 41, of Clerkenwell, central London; Rupert Bennett, 43, of Ilford, east London; Derek Boughton, of Hammersmith, west London; and Raymond Morley, 52, of Wood Green, north London.