Who is to blame for fire?

The families of 13 young black people killed in the 1981 New Cross fire today spoke of their sadness that no one is to be brought to justice after a coroner found there was no conclusive proof of arson.

Coroner Gerald Butler QC yesterday reached an open verdict - despite admitting the blaze was "more likely than not" caused by someone "deliberately" setting light to the back of a chair during a party.

He also said key witnesses Norman Higgins and Leslie Morris had lied to the inquest about their involvement in the incident, but he did not have enough evidence to return a verdict of manslaughter or unlawful death.

The decision came 23 years after a first inquest returned verdicts of accidental death and upset many relatives who believe their children were murdered.

As the coroner returned his verdict after a 10-week inquest, family members and survivors at Southwark Coroners Court shouted "lies!" and "no!" Some slumped in their seats and wept. Outside the court they complained of an "appalling waste of time and effort" and some called the inquiry, held at the request of Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir John Stevens, "a cover-up".

Labour MP for Lewisham Deptford Joan Ruddock, who has campaigned for a proper investigation, called the verdict "extremely disappointing".

She added: "I felt there was enough evidence to return a verdict of unlawful killing."

The families' anger was fuelled, in part, by forensic evidence read in court that suggested the fire was caused by someone at the party, a theory long held by many survivors.

But much of it was directed at those witnesses who, in Judge Butler's words "knew more than they told". One mother had to be helped out of the court building after rounding on one witness she blamed for her son's death, saying: "You have crippled me. How can you do that to me? Why did you lie in court?"

Desmond Brown, 39, survived the blaze after jumping from a top-floor window, but saw his brother die. He said: "The fire was started deliberately. I feel a grievance about this verdict. My mother travelled halfway across the world to see justice done and we were fobbed off as we were the first time.

"I saw my brother die and I lost my best friend Patrick Cummings. My mind has been scarred forever.

There were adults at that party who came to court and lied about their evidence. Those parents knew what happened at that party."

Georgina Darnell, the sister of 17-year-old victim Gerry Francis, said the verdict made a "mockery" of forensic evidence pointing to arson. "There is no other way that fire started but deliberately," she added. "It is sad especially for the parents of victims who will not live another 23 years to see justice done."

Her father, George Francis, said: "We know this was a deliberate act. The forensic evidence is at odds with the verdicts." However, he was pleased with the detail that emerged during the inquest, saying: "We found out a lot more than we knew at the first inquest."

Survivor Wayne Haynes, 40, paid tribute to detectives who worked "tirelessly" on the investigation and were as "bitter at the verdict as us". But, he said: "If the coroner admits the fire was started by a naked flame being deliberately taken to an armchair - how is that not murder? This sends out a dangerous message to young black kids - the law will not protect you."

Outside court, lawyer Patrick Allen, who acted for the New Cross Parents Committee, said he would review the investigation but admitted it was unlikely any civil proceedings would be brought against those called liars during the hearing.

He added: "The tragedy is, despite this unique opportunity to get to the heart of the issues, many witnesses did not tell the truth so the original verdict has been repeated."

After the fire racial tensions ran high, but fears that the deaths were caused by racially-motivated arson have now been largely ruled out. Commander Steve Allen, head of the Metropolitan Police's Racial and Violent Crime task force, said: "If any new significant evidence came into our possession we would of course pursue them with vigour."