Chelsea bar's manager dies in plunge from flat

A manager at a Chelsea wine bar frequented by footballers and celebrities plunged to his death from a third floor flat after a row with his girlfriend.

Luca di Berardino, 27, who worked at Blushes wine bar on the King's Road, fell from his top floor flat in Kensington. He was impaled on railings and was pronounced dead at the scene.

Police said they were not treating the death as suspicious but were investigating the circumstances of Mr di Berardino's fall from the window of the flat he shared with his girlfriend.

Mr di Berardino was a popular figure at Blushes, a regular haunt of Chelsea footballers such as Frank Lampard.

Police said they were called to his home in Finborough Road in the early hours yesterday.

They are believed to be investigating the possibility that he either fell from the window or jumped, perhaps believing a balcony on the floor below would break his fall.

Neighbours told how they heard a disturbance at about 5am.

Lauren Burgess, 41, said: "I heard a lady screaming that she was going to move out. It sounded like she was outside on the street. She was screaming and screaming."

Another neighbour, who did not want to be named, said: "The policeman outside told me it was a terrible accident."

Blushes wine bar said today they could not comment.