Hotel blaze murder suspect bailed

More than 80 people managed to get out of the building safely

A man who was arrested in connection with the murder of three people in a hotel fire has been released on bail, police have confirmed.

The 44-year-old was detained last week, along with a 21-year-old, following the blaze at the Penhallow Hotel in Newquay, Cornwall, last August.

Teacher Peter Hughes, 43, his mother Monica, 86, and Joan Harper, 80, all from Staffordshire, died in the fire.

Up to 90 people escaped the blaze, which broke out early on 18 August.

The 21-year-old suspect was bailed on Thursday.

Mr Hughes, of Cheslyn Hay, died trying to rescue his mother, Monica. Joan Harper, from Stoke on Trent, was on holiday in the resort.

When the fire broke out, the hotel was close to capacity with 86 guests, three members of staff and a coach driver in the building, which was later demolished because of the fire.

Detectives said last week that painstaking inquiries by fire service investigators and independent experts had established that the fire was started deliberately.

Magistrates had given detectives a further 36 hours to question the 44-year-old man and on Saturday granted them a further 24 hours, before they bailed him.