A man charged in connection with an explosion at the Turtle Bay restaurant site in Chester city centre has appeared in court.

Mark Blackburn, 39, of Wakefield Road, Ossett, appeared at Chester Magistrates Court on Friday, October 18, facing a total of five charges, including arson with recklessness as to whether life was endangered.

He also stood charged with four health and safety offences - three of them in relation to a gas fitting and one for the safety of employees.

Blackburn entered no plea to the charges.

Prosecuting, Val Tonkinson said the incident was in connection with an explosion at the Turtle Bay restaurant site at about 6.25pm on March 29, 2023, when the restaurant had yet to be opened. As a result of the explosion, the adjacent Chester Market building was evacuated and emergency services were called.

Blackburn was unconditionally bailed to appear next at Chester Crown Court on Friday, November 15.

Three sub-contractors, including Blackburn, were taken to hospital with burn injuries following the explosion on March 29, 2023. Two of them were initially put into an induced coma, while one of them spent over a week in intensive care in hospital.

Turtle Bay is due to open its doors officially at Exchange Square in Chester on Thursday, October 24.