'Arson threats' of hostel accused

The man accused of starting a fire at an Australian hostel in which 15 young tourists died expressed his hatred of backpackers and threatened "to burn this place down", a Brisbane court heard today.

Robert Long told a local man there were too many backpackers and if the community took no action he was prepared to pay to have them injured.

He was then overheard by a British tourist saying most backpackers could go to hell and he was not afraid of going to jail. "I heard the words to the effect of 'I'm going to burn this place down,'" said Keith O'Brien, who is one of eight British survivors due to give evidence at Long's murder trial at the Supreme Court.

Mr O'Brien had been backpacking around Australia on a working holiday when he checked into the Palace Hostel in Childers, north Queensland, on 18 May 2000, about a month before the fire in which seven Britons died.

Mr O'Brien, from Wigan, Lancs, told how he had met the accused in a town pub while both had work picking vegetables-Long, 38, is charged with two specimen counts of the murders of twins Stacey and Kelly Slarke, 22, from Western Australia. He is also charged with one count of arson.

Mr O'Brien took the witness stand just yards from bearded Long, whom he had not seen since before the fire.

Mr O'Brien said he did not have anything to do with Long but knew that he had a room in the hostel. However, Long often preferred to sleep on a couch in the hostel's TV lounge, he said. Mr O'Brien said he overheard the threat to burn down the hotel as he walked through the reception area.

Earlier, a Childers youth, Kerris Rex, 18, told how he had befriended Long. Two weeks before the fire he saw Long in the Childers Hotel. He appeared depressed, was drinking heavily and became agitated at the presence of a number of backpackers in the bar.

The trial continues.