Apology over fatal shop fire demo

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A fire service has apologised after staging a demonstration that resembled a disaster at a Manchester Woolworths store in 1979, in which 10 people died.

Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service offered its "unreserved apologies" for any offence caused during this year's Odiham Fire Show on 1 and 2 August.

The service said it was a recreation of a "number of fires" at Woolworths stores, including some in the South.

The May 1979 disaster led to a major shake-up in UK fire laws.

The fire service said demonstrations were a "valuable opportunity" to promote fire safety.

Mick Crennell, south west Hampshire area manager, told BBC News: "This wasn't a Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service organised event, as such, but this group of enthusiasts is affiliated to Hampshire Fire and Rescue.

"Obviously we will be looking at our arrangements in future.

"I do apologise unreservedly for any offence that may have been caused, it certainly wasn't intended."

Foam fillings

In a further statement, the fire service said: "The fire demonstration had not meant to cause any offence and was a recreation of a number of fires that the Woolworths Group plc had experienced."

It said these included "a couple in our own region (Aldershot in the 1950s and Bognor in 1974) and not solely the Manchester disaster in May 1979".

The Manchester disaster on 8 May 1979 led to a major shake-up in UK fire laws after it was revealed foam fillings in furniture at the store made the situation much worse.

At the time the Woolworths store blaze was the city's worst fire since World War II.

The changes in legislation are believed to have saved thousands of lives since.