A NIGHTCLUBBER who threatened to burn down the premises later allegedly returned and petrol bombed it, a jury was told.

Burnley Crown Court heard how David Poulton, 24, who now lives in Burnley, and an accomplice had earlier been asked to leave Eclipse, the former Lars de Dars in Accrington, in a row over cigarettes.

A bomb was slung into the foyer of the club on Willow Street within half an hour .

Poulton, then of Richmond Avenue, Accrington, and now of Coal Clough Lane, Burnley, denies arson being reckless as to whether life was endangered in 13 January.

John Wishart, prosecuting, said the defendant and his friend Wayne Nichol had been at Eclipse on January 12.

Around 1am, they were asked to leave, not because they were involved in any violence, but because of an argument over the supply of cigarettes over the bar.

He said as the duo were leaving the club, there seemed to have been an argument between Poulton, Nichol and two doormen. The defendant and his friend were joined by their partners.

The prosecutor said as the four of them were about to get into a taxi, there was an angry exchange of words between the bouncers and the two men and specific threats were made.

One of the men said he would be down at the club with a machine gun and Poulton said the premises would be burned down within the next 10 minutes.

Mr Wishart said the taxi first went to a petrol station to get cigarettes and the journey continued to Richmond Avenue, Accrington, where both men lived.

Mr Wishart alleged the defendant and Nichol then went back to Eclipse and threw a petrol bomb.

The bottle used was a one and a half litre wine bottle and a similar type of wine bottle was found at Poulton's house, he said.

Mr Wishart said the contents of the petrol bomb were forensically examined and that supported strong evidence for the contention the fuel came from a container which had some similar petrol in it at Nichol's house.

The defendant was arrested and interviewed and said he could not really remember going to the petrol station.

He accepted he went back to his own house and then told officers he went to a party with Wayne Nichol and the two women and stayed there for a number of hours.

Nichol, who failed to appear for the plea and directions hearing of the case, has not yet been arrested, the court was told

(Proceeding)