LAST Sunday 26-year-old Mark Turner fell to his death from a multi-storey car park after leaving the Utopia nightclub in Blackburn. He is the second clubber to die in similar circumstances in recent years. As police continued to probe the circumstances of his death, one organisation today suggested that more supervision should be given to clubbers as they left the premises.

Chief Reporter JASON HEAVEY investigates. MOST people have been there. Glassy-eyed and worse for wear after a bellyful of booze, you walk out of a nightclub at 2am and the fresh air hits you.

The world is in a bit of a spin and maybe, just maybe, the temptation for a bit of tomfoolery or high jinks is too much to resist.

But there are not many nightclubs where people have to file out onto a multi-storey car park and that is what meets clubbers as they walk out of Utopia in Lord Square, Blackburn. Twice in the past five years, a night out at the club has ended in tragedy. The death of Mr Turner, of Cuerdale Lane, Walton-le-Dale, who was found dead next to the Ainsworth Street car park, on Sunday, followed the death in 1995 of a 16-year-old Blackburn girl who plunged from the multi-storey after a night out at what was then known as Peppermint Place.

Police investigations are continuing into the death of Mr Turner and, although he had been to the club, there is no evidence to suggest he had been drinking or fooling around.

But the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (ROSPA) today suggested the possible introduction of increased supervision by the club as revellers made their departure.

The club has agreed to look into it.

Roger Vincent, ROSPA spokesman, said: "The coroner involved in the latest case may make suitable recommendations if necessary. In the meantime, the owners may feel it necessary in the light of this incident to consider increasing the supervision of people leaving the club.

"They may also want to issue warnings about the dangers of fooling around on the way home."

Andrew Henry, spokesman for First Leisure, which owns Utopia, said: "We would certainly not dismiss the idea of more supervision. In fact, we would support anything which would make a night out at the club safer for our customers. "As it stands the club is only responsible for the confines of the walls and the yellow hatched areas outside the fire exits."

Detective Inspector Tony Harling said: "The car park is surrounded by a wall of at least 5ft and high railings. If anybody wanted to do harm to themselves they could just walk up the multi storey and there is nothing we could do about that. My jurisdiction is to investigate whether any crime has been committed and in the two deaths mentioned the evidence leads us to believe that the deceased have gone out of their way to put themselves in danger."

Michael Singleton, Blackburn, Hyndburn and Ribble Valley coroner, said: "At the inquest I will hear the evidence and if I feel it appropriate I will make recommendations."

He declined to comment further. The car park is owned by Blackburn with Darwen Council and is leased to Standard Life, owners of the adjoining shopping centre. The nightclub exit is on the first level, but clubbers have access to go higher onto the upper floors.

But Blackburn Shopping Centre manager Victor Parfrement said: "The fact that the main entrance and exit is on the car park has not thrown up any more problems that one would anticipate from having a night club on the premises.

"People leaving the club could walk across the car park and go onto the multi storey, but somebody could also leave a pub in Blackburn town centre and walk onto the car park."

Bill Howarth, Blackburn with Darwen Council spokesman, said a licensing inspection was carried out at Utopia in Blackburn just weeks before the tragic death of Mr Turner.

He said: "About two or three years ago, we asked for barriers to be erected near the entrance of the club where it is a bit raised and our recent inspection showed they were still there.''