Shropshire Star

Motorists run for their lives

A fire in a Landrover is thought to have started the blaze which destroyed 1,400 cars in a multi-storey in Liverpool and left thousands of people stranded in the city.

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Supporting image for story
Victoria Courtney and Mark Windsor in Liverpool before the fire

The New Year's Eve blaze raged through the car park next to the Liverpool Echo Arena where an International Horse Show was taking place. Witnesses described abandoning their vehicles, grabbing possessions and running for their lives when the fire took hold.

Firefighters rescued two dogs from one car.

Those caught up in the fire included those from Shropshire and the Welsh border - and former England footballer, Mark Wright and his family.

Victorian Courtney and partner, equine chiropractor, Mark Windsor, lost their two-year-old S-class Mercedes which was parked on the sixth floor of the car park.

On the same floor was a Vauxhall Insignia belonging to Kerry Matthews, 54, a warehouseman and partner Patricia Heath, 55, an administrator, both from Wrexham. They had driven into Liverpool to celebrate New Year.

They dropped their bags off at their hotel and went out for drinks before returning at 10.30pm.

Ms Heath said: "We just thought it was the arena on fire. We thought we will go and have a look. A fireman said the whole car park is on fire. He said, 'What level is your car on?' We said six.

"He said, 'Well you best go and have a couple of drinks to celebrate new year because you're not going to get your car back'."

Mr Matthews added: "It's a car we can replace a car. There could have been people in those cars, it could have been a lot worse."

The fire caused the cancellation of the Liverpool International Horse Show on New Year's Eve, which was attended by Sue Wright and her family, including former England footballer Mark.

She told how she saw an old Land Rover on level three with its engine on fire and helped to lead some of the horses to safety.

Mrs Wright said: "The flames were just shooting out of the engine and coming past the tyres. It looked like a ball of fire on the front of the car and it was producing a lot of smoke.

"We just left everything in the car - handbags, telephone, cash - and just went. It was all insignificant as long as everyone was OK and we could get the horses out.

"I saw one car on fire but it was clear it was ferocious and spreading."

She was with her family, friends and children in an eight-seater minibus when one of their children spotted the fire and smoke.

They abandoned the minibus and got everyone to safety.

Mrs Wright called the emergency services and rushed to the stables but she could hear "bangs and popping" as she arrived, and the horses were "spooked".

She recalled: "The water was coming down to ground level as the firefighters were tackling the fire but it was spooking the horses."

Mrs Wright told the grooms to bridle the horses and they managed to get them out through two exits.

"Everybody was helping each other out. It was all hands on deck in the stables," she said.

With the fire out, the emphasis was turned to ensuring the charred building was structurally safe.