Retired Royal Navy captain, 82, arrested on suspicion of arson after he 'drove car into sailing club which had only just re-opened after £350,000 renovation' - and it burst into flames

Clifford Caughey allegedly crashed his car into Emsworth Sailing Club



Reportedly drove Volvo into wall of club - causing it to burst into flames

Escaped with minor injuries, but has been arrested on suspicion of arson

Ex-Navy captain had 'appeared stressed' in recent weeks, say neighbours



Club was reopened by a Paralympic sailing gold medallist in May last year

It had undergone £350,000 renovation, with new bar and training rooms



A retired Royal Navy captain has been arrested on suspicion of arson after allegedly crashing his car into a newly refurbished sailing club - causing it to burst into flames.



Clifford Caughey, 82, who served as the commanding officer on the destroyer HMS Fife, is believed to have been at the wheel when his green Volvo V40 Cross Country smashed into Emsworth Sailing Club in Hampshire at 6.35am yesterday.



Eyewitness claim the car was driven straight toward the club at around 70mph - before hitting the front wall of the building, causing a loud explosion.

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Shocking: A 82-year-old yachtsman has been arrested on suspicion of arson after allegedly crashing his car into a newly refurbished sailing club - causing it to burst into flames. Above, the burnt-out vehicle

Aftermath: The pensioner, named locally as Clifford Caughey, is believed to have been at the wheel when his green Volvo V40 smashed into Emsworth Sailing Club at 6.35am. He reportedly drove the car at around 70mph

Scene: Eyewitness claim the car drove into the front wall of the building (pictured) - causing a loud explosion

Shocked: Bianca Jayne-Carr, who saw the blaze, said: 'Big explosion and the place is in flames. Crazy morning'

More than 30 firefighters were sent to tackle the blaze at the club, which was reopened by Paralympic sailing gold medallist Helena Lucas last year following a £35,000 renovation.

The flames completely destroyed the vehicle and quickly engulfed the club - turning its white walls a charcoal grey colour.

Mr Caughey, later became Queen's Harbour Master at Portsmouth Naval Dockyard, was rescued from his burnt-out car and is currently being treated at hospital for minor injuries.

The club’s franchisee Oliver Clift, who was living in the building with his wife Eloise and children Ellie Mai and Noah at the time of the crash, managed to escape unharmed, while other locals were temporarily evacuated from their homes.

Mr Caughey - known to his friends by his middle name, John - has now been arrested on suspicion of arson with intent to endanger life.



The father of two and widower has been named locally, but is yet to be formally identified by police .



Before the crash: The sailing club in Bath Road was reopened last year following a £350,000 renovation

Athlete: It was officially reopened by Paralympic sailing gold medallist Helena Lucas (pictured at the Olympics)

Different view: The impact of the crash today completely destroyed the vehicle - with white replacing its paint

Yesterday afternoon, neighbours said Mr Caughey was in the process of moving house - and had appeared 'stressed' in recent weeks.



An estate agent confirmed he exchanged contracts on his old three-bedroom, detached property, in Emsworth, just a few days ago. It had been listed for sale for £795,000.

One neighbour said they believed he was moving to a smaller house half a mile away - on the same road as the sailing club, of which he was a member.



Another neighbour described the former Navy captain, whose wife Dorothy died nine years ago, as 'a lovely chap' who was close to his two children.



The elderly man, who asked not to be named, said: 'As far as I am aware, he was in good health, had no money worries, had lots of friends, and a loving family.

Wrecked: More than 30 firefighters tackled the blaze, and the pensioner was rescued from his burnt-out car

Smokey: A family living at the club at the time of the crash managed to escape unharmed, while other locals were temporarily evacuated from their homes. Above, Sarah Jane Walker posts a photo of the blaze on Twitter

'He is not the sort of person who would want to harm others, so I can only imagine it was a tragic accident.



'John had so much to live for so he must have just flipped. It is all very distressing and baffling.'

However, neighbour Jean Howells, 72, said Mr Caughey had appeared 'a bit stressed' recently.

'He's lived here for quite a few years now. I know him reasonably well and he's always been really pleasant, and often says hello,' she said.



'He's a member of the sailing club - as am I. I think he really enjoys it. I saw him the other day in the garden and he seemed okay but I think he has seemed a bit stressed lately.

' I saw him the other day in the garden and he seemed okay but I think he has seemed a bit stressed lately' Jean Howells

'He's in the middle of moving house and all I can think is that it has just got to him - its stressful moving house anyway and especially if you're on your own.'

Mr Caughey is believed to have put his Prout 31 sailing boat, named Starquest, up for sale a few years ago for an unknown price.



The advert said: 'Reluctantly, I am putting Starquest up for sale. She represents excellent value having had more than 50,000 pounds spent on her in the last four years.

'She has been very lightly used during the past 2 years, due to ill health.'

Yacht club Commodore Chris Clode, 69, who lives next door to the sailing club, said he had been listening to the radio in bed when he heard the 'massive bang' this morning.



He said he rushed to his bedroom window to see plumes of black smoke billowing from the building.



Incident: Mr Caughey, from Emsworth, is now being treated in hospital for minor injuries and has been arrested

'I had just switched on the radio at 6.30am when there was a massive bang,' he said. 'It sounded like someone had dropped a tonne of bricks into a skip from a great height. 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 to the club.

'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.

Response: The father of two and widower, who later become Queen's Harbour Master at Portsmouth Naval Dockyard, is yet to be formally identified by police. Above, emergency crews remove his vehicle from the scene

Towing it away: This afternoon, neighbours said Mr Caughey had appeared 'stressed' in recent weeks

'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.'

Mr Clode said the crash appeared to have done some great damage to the sailing club, which was fitted with a new bar, training rooms, balcony and larger changing rooms during the refurbishment.



He added that club members were 'devastated' by the incident, saying: 'The driver was a longstanding member of the club and has many, many friends within the membership.

'This event has shocked many residents. The sailing club is at the heart of the town. For this to happen in our community is deeply upsetting'

Will Wallace



'There was absolutely no dispute with other members. What brought this about we have no idea and we need to find out through his family what brought this on.

'Everybody at the club is devastated this has happened.'

This evening, a police cordon remains in place outside the club to prevent people from getting close to it, while the Volvo V4 has been removed from the scene.



Investigators are now working to establish exactly what happened.

A Hampshire Fire and Rescue spokesman said: 'We were called to Emsworth Sailing Club after a car crashed into the building.

'The driver was rescued from the car and wasn’t hurt. A fire spread from the car onto the roof of the club and we have teams tackling the fire.



'We have fire crews from Emsworth, Havant, Hayling Island, the Special Equipment Unit from Cosham, and teams from Horndean.

Huge hole: The revamped sailing club, which boasts more than 1,150 members, was officially reopened by Ms Lucas last May after undergoing the costly refurbishment. Above, the aftermath of the shocking crash today

'We also have also got a search and rescue team on stand-by to search the building once the fire is out.'

Earlier today, residents in Emsworth said they were saddened by the incident. Will Wallace, who lives in the small coastal town, told MailOnline: 'This event has shocked many residents. The sailing club is at the heart of the town.

'Many Emsworthians are keen sailors and the club provides both that and other social events. For this to happen in our community is deeply upsetting.'

Meanwhile, eyewitness, Sarah Jane Walker, wrote on Twitter: 'Explosion at sailing club 6.45 Emsworth. Huge ball of fire, black smoke. Family safe, but hope everyone else is too.'

'Woke up to yelling this morning after a car crashed into Emsworth Sailing Club. Big explosion and the place is in flames. Crazy morning'

Bianca Jayne-Carr

And Bianca Jayne-Carr, who also saw the blaze, tweeted: 'Woke up to yelling this morning after a car crashed into Emsworth Sailing Club.

'Big explosion and the place is in flames. Crazy morning.'



The sailing club has announced it will remain closed for the rest of the week - and has appealed to members to 'stay away from the club at this time'.

A Hampshire Police spokesman said: 'We were called to an address at 6:34am this morning following reports that a dark green coloured Volvo estate was involved in a collision with a building.

'No-one in the building was injured in the collision and a subsequent fire, the driver was treated for non-life threatening injuries.



'Some local residents were temporarily evacuated until the fire was extinguished and have now returned to their homes.



Destroyed: The club, pictured after the crash, was founded in 1919 by a small group of sailing enthusiasts

'An 82 year-old man from Emsworth has been arrested on suspicion of arson and is helping police with their enquiries.'

The revamped sailing club, which boasts more than 1,150 members, was officially reopened by Ms Lucas last May after undergoing the costly refurbishment.



Government agency, Sport England, provided £50,000 towards the work - while the rest of the cash came from the club and its members.

