Expert tells Stardust inquests fire 'most likely' started in one of two places

Dr Will Hutchinson also pointed to one expert report from the time which said that some evidence was 'not handled with due care'

The original finding from the Tribunal, which sat in 1981, that the fire was “probable arson” was long contested by families of victims, and struck from the Dáil record in 2009. File photo: Sasko Lazarov / RollingNews.ie

The “most likely scenario” as to where the fire started in the Stardust nightclub is either in a hot press located at the main bar of the venue, or in the tiered, cordoned-off seating area where the fire was first spotted, fresh inquests have heard.

Fire expert Dr Will Hutchinson told the 13-person jury that if it started in the hot press, the probable explanation for this was an electrical fault. However, if the fire started in the tiered section known as the west alcove, he said that the probable explanation for this was it was started deliberately.