A 51-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of arson with intent to endanger life after a fire severely damaged a popular LGBTQ+ nightclub in Milton Keynes. The blaze broke out at Pink Punters in Bletchley, Buckinghamshire, in the early hours of Saturday morning, forcing the evacuation of revellers.
Firefighters Tackle Blaze at Pink Punters
Fire crews were called to the scene at around 2am and quickly evacuated everyone from the building. No injuries were reported. The fire caused extensive damage to the Tudor revival building, with the entire roof reportedly destroyed. A witness told local radio station MKFM that the venue was "smouldering" and had been "absolutely ruined."
Police Investigation Underway
Thames Valley Police arrested the suspect, who remains in custody. Chief Superintendent Emma Baillie stated: "This was a significant fire in which a large number of people had to be evacuated. Thankfully no one was injured and staff at the venue worked quickly and effectively to safely evacuate everyone." She added that road closures are likely to remain in place for some time and urged the public not to speculate on the motivation behind the incident.
Buckinghamshire Fire and Rescue Service reported that 12 fire crews attended the scene at the height of the blaze. A spokesperson said: "We are now scaling back the amount of fire engines in attendance. Firefighters will still remain on scene, working hard to dampen down and check the building for hot spots."
Pink Punters has been a cornerstone of the LGBTQ+ community in Milton Keynes for many years, hosting regular club nights and events. The venue has not yet commented on the incident.
