Man arrested after fire at Milton Keynes LGBT+ nightclub Pink Punters

A man has been arrested on suspicion of arson with intent to endanger life after a fire at a packed-out LGBT+ nightclub. Thames Valley Police said a 51-year-old man from Milton Keynes remained in custody and it urged people not to speculate as to the motive. There were no reports of injuries. Eyewitness Molly Firman said "out of nowhere" staff and security started screaming "you need to get out now". "Am I dreaming this? Is it actually happening? Before you knew it, it was just intense." Firman, from Clophill, who said she had visited Pink Punters countless times, was with a group of friends when she saw the flames. "It was just a normal night - drinks, music, no problems - and then just after two in the morning, me and my girls were outside the cocktail bar... and the fire alarm was going off. "Out of nowhere all staff and security were screaming, 'you need to get out now'... then [we were] all out on to the road and from the road looking over it felt like in minutes - it wasn't a small fire - but that fire expanded greatly." "When I think of going on a night out, that's pretty much the only place I will think of going. If Pink's was not to be here anymore, I think it would affect a lot of people." Buckinghamshire Fire and Rescue Service said it was called at 02:09 BST to Watling Street, and at its height, 12 appliances were being used to tackle the fire. A spokesperson said crews were expected to remain at the scene for a "considerable amount of time", including to dampen down hotspots. "At this time it would be too early to comment on any particular motivation for this incident and we would respectfully ask for people not to speculate," she said.