A RETIRED Royal Navy Captain was under arrest last night after allegedly crashing a car into a prestigious sailing club at 70mph, sparking a massive blaze.
The burned-out Volvo estate embedded in the wall of Emsworth Sailing Club in Hampshire yesterday [MIKE WALKER]A witness said the driver twice aborted his run-up before careering into the club at speed on his third attempt, smashing into the club’s children’s room.
The driver is then said to have let off flares before pouring petrol over the car and inside the club.
There was an explosion before the building was engulfed in flames and thick black smoke.
Police have not yet formally named the driver, saying only that an 82-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of arson.
He is said to be Captain Clifford Caughey, formerly commanding officer on the destroyer HMS Fife between 1982 and 1984.
Capt Caughey, known to friends by his middle name John, was also Queen’s Harbour Master at Portsmouth Naval Dockyard.
He is a long-standing member of Emsworth Sailing Club in Hampshire which was rammed by a Volvo V40 estate at about 6.30am yesterday. Flames ripped through the building, which reopened only last year after a £350,000 renovation.
The driver was taken to nearby Queen Alexandra Hospital for treatment to non life-threatening injuries.
The car ploughed into a wall near a flat on the premises which is home to the club’s franchisee Oliver Clift.
Club commodore Chris Clode, 69, who lives 90 yards from the premises, said he heard a “massive bang” and went to his bedroom window to see plumes of black smoke.
He and his wife ran out to find Mr Clift, his wife Eloise and their children Ellie Mai and Noah had fled from the burning building.
It was so loud that at first I thought the boilers at the club must have exploded
Mr Clode, said: “It was so loud that at first I thought the boilers at the club must have exploded.
“I said to my wife, ‘What the hell was that?’ and we looked out of the window to see this huge plume of black smoke billowing from the club.
“Then we spotted the car embedded in the wall and realised what had happened. I threw on some clothes and ran down. I was so glad to see Oliver and Eloise and their children were safe.
“Luckily the apartment they live in isn’t directly above where the car had struck.
“The blaze was well alight and the flames were 20ft high. They were licking the very eaves of the building, which was built in 1875.
“For 10 minutes after the initial bang there were several smaller bangs coming from the back of the car. I don’t know what it was but can only describe the noise as like fireworks.
“By this point the driver had been taken out of the car and was being escorted up the road by two police officers.
He looked in a very bad way and was taken away in some distress.”
Nearby residents were evacuated from their homes as 35 firefighters tackled the blaze at the club, which lies on Chichester Harbour.
It was originally a sea-bathing establishment which was set up in about 1800.
This led to the Emsworth Sailing Club being founded by a small group of enthusiasts in 1919.
The club, which has 1,800 members, has said it is one of the oldest water activity clubs in the country.
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