Pizza Hut sues for £1.6m after blaze

Pizza Hut has launched a High Court claim for damages of nearly £1.7m after a huge fire at its restaurant in Leicester.

Thick black smoke spread into the Pizza Hut restaurant in the Haymarket after roofing contractors accidentally set fire to a shop next door with blowtorches.

Staff tried to call the fire service but the telephone line failed after a single ring. A police officer sitting in front of Pizza Hut successfully called out firemen to tackle the blaze.

Now Pizza Hut is suing roofing contractor Darren Varnam and shop owner Cranbrook (Jewellers) for damages after the blaze on 16 November 1998.

The building's owner, British Land Universal, and Alliance & Leicester are also suing Varnam and Cranbrook for damages. The total claim is for over £3.4m.

The companies claim Varnam and Cranbrook negligently allowed the fire to start, and that workmen John Hullahan and Lee Hanton allowed a windowsill to smoulder and then burst into flames, with fire spreading into the restaurant and the bank's offices despite the arrival of the fire services four minutes after the policeman's call.

Pizza Hut is claiming damages of £1,698,021, which includes the cost of remedial works and loss of profit of £1.25m.

by Sarah Limbrick