A former nightclub described as a 'Mecca for acid house music' put up a reward to catch the arsonists who torched the venue twice within weeks.
Opened originally as a stunning ballroom in the 1920s, The State nightclub on Dale Street became an iconic nightclub for dance music in the late 1980s and 1990s attracting clubbers from all over the UK. However, despite its status, the club endured a chequered history.
The club was closed in 1988 and stripped of its entertainment and alcohol licence after Merseyside Police argued it had become a favourite haunt for young people using the drug Ecstasy (MDMA). The illegal drug had become notorious after being implicated in a number of high profile deaths of young people who had attended raves throughout the UK at the time.
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It was also claimed the nightclub had let in 500 people over its capacity for Acid House parties. The club was reopened in 1990 following a change of management and a strict anti-drug policy was introduced. Acid House music was also banned from being played at the venue and all door staff had been replaced.
Just a year after the nightclub reopened, it was brought to its knees by a deliberately started fire on Bonfire Night in 1991. In a bid to burn down the former ballroom, arsonists had used timing switches hooked up to cable and flex, as well as other items, to form a pair of incendiary devices.
However, the home-made firebombs failed to ignite but a petrol soaked rug - set ablaze by the arsonists - spread through the nightclub causing nearly £100,000 worth of damage. Following the devastating fire, the club was closed for weeks for repair and renovations before reopening just five days before Christmas 1991.
But on Tuesday January 14, 1992 - just 10-weeks after the first fire - arsonists struck again causing catastrophic damage to the building for a second time. 11 fire engines attended the scene on Dale Street to tackle the blaze which had been started just before 11pm on a Tuesday night, with one officer injured as a result of the falling debris.
Police said they believed the same criminals had struck twice, and that it was the work of hired professional arsonists. Detective chief inspector Frank Thompson, acting head of CID in Liverpool at the time, said: "We are looking at an arson attack. It was the same time of the week as the last one, when The State was closed, and started on the same floor," adding: "I'm sure whoever did the last one did this one as well."
Following the second fire, the company that owned The State ballrooms put up a "substantial cash reward" in a desperate bid to catch the culprits. The company was quoted in the Liverpool Echo as offering "a large amount to anyone who can name the wreckers."
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Despite the reward offered, it's not thought anybody was ever convicted of the early 1990s arson attacks. Merseyside Police said they had no current records relating to the case and because the offences were committed 30-years-ago, nobody dealing with the case at the time would still be working in the force.
The club managed to bounce back after £30,000 worth of sophisticated electronic and surveillance equipment was installed to deter anyone from starting any more fires. By the mid-1990s, the club experienced a renaissance hosting huge events such as Monster Jam and Garlands, with The State reunion events still taking place today for what's now regarded as one of the city's iconic nightclubs.
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Since 2014, the Grade II listed State Insurance Building has been home to JD Gym.
