New Bradford City Fire claims 'nonsense' says judge

Claims that the 1985 Bradford fire, which killed 56 people, may have been resulted from an arson attack are "nonsense", the former High Court Judge who presided over the inquiry into the incident has said.

A new book claims the fire at Valley Parade was one of at least nine blazes at businesses owned by or associated with the club's then chairman Stafford Heginbotham, who died in 1995.

Mr Justice Oliver Popplewell led the original inquiry, which concluded that the fire was probably accidentally started by a spectator dropping a cigarette under the old timber stand.

Asked about the new claims, the now retired judge told BBC Radio Leeds: "I'm sorry to spoil what is obviously a very good story but I'm afraid it's nonsense for a number of reasons."

He said the stand involved in the fire had no insurance value and that nothing suspicious was found in investigations.

He also told ITV News: "Obviously at the time we would have looked into it but i suspect that if there had been eight previous fires of which no one had made any complaints as far as we know one would have said coincidences happen"

Mr Heginbotham's son James, 47, told the Daily Mirror: "When you actually do your homework and see what he did for Bradford City Football Club it is a sickening accusation. It is just absolutely ridiculous. He never recovered from the fire. The stress of it is what killed him eventually."