Hanley wine bar fire victim lit it for warmth

A homeless man who died in a fire had lit it to keep warm, but it quickly spread, consuming the derelict building, an inquest has heard.

Jamie Parker was found a day after a severe blaze at the former Yates wine bar on Brockley Square, in Hanley, in March 2024.

The body of the 40-year-old could only be recovered later after the structural instability of the building had been assessed and debris removed, and he had to be identified through DNA analysis, his inquest heard.

In ruling misadventure, Lindsey Tonks, the assistant coroner for Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire, concluded the fire was a deliberate act which unintentionally went wrong.

Other homeless men who had been in the building in the early hours of 12 March 2024 managed to escape

However, the coroner said drugs in Mr Parker’s system might have affected his reactions and thinking, and the fire was too extensive for him to be rescued.

A victim recovery dog was used to search for Mr Parker, who was found in a kitchen area of the former venue.

His death was deemed to have been caused by the effects of fire.

The inquest heard how the first and second floors of the building fell down due to the severity of the blaze, and it spread to adjoining properties.

Fire investigators believed a naked flame was the most likely cause of the blaze, as the gas and electricity had been cut off after a cannabis grow was found in the building in 2023.

Ms Tonks described Mr Parker’s death as a tragic event.