ON the eve of the 21st anniversary of the York Minster blaze, the Diary can report a new theory about its cause.

The fire, on July 9, 1984, has always been blamed on lightning. But John Carlton of Fulford believes different.

He says the inferno, which devastated the South Transept and nearly cost York its cathedral, was caused by a massive power surge.

In the early hours of that fateful morning, he was on his way home from a night out.

"I was going down Navigation Road," he tells the Diary, in his first public account of what he saw. "Something made me turn my head to the left.

"A bolt of energy shot across the sky. I saw it go to earth as I got between two buildings on Foss Islands Road."

He described the power surge as being the length of a football pitch and "as thick as my leg". It went behind the Foss Islands incinerator and across the pylons on Melrosegate to a sub station on Hull Road.

The Home Office report into the Minster blaze concluded that there was only a ten per cent chance that it was caused by an electrical fault ("atmospheric electrical discharge" was given as an 80 per cent possibility).

But, Mr Carlton asks, if lightning blew out the electrical junction box, how come the Minster floodlights were still working at 3am?

Just thought we'd reignite the debate...

YESTERDAY we revealed that the Micklegate Freemen's plaque had gone from Scarcroft Lane. But the problems down there are worse than we thought.

"This plaque disappeared more than six weeks ago and was definitely not in place for Royal Ascot," reports Derek Facey, of Tarbert Crescent, York.

"A more worrying fact is that the wall itself is falling over and appears to be only prevented from doing so by it leaning against a shed in an adjoining garden."

WE have acquired fascinating new information both on Prince Monalulu and York's former rag-and-bone entrepreneurs. It's all in your super soaraway Diary next week, health willing.

THIS poster was spotted in the region of the boarded up Bo Ding Warehouse in York by an eagle-eyed reader.

It appears to be an official Evening Press bill. In fact, it is a doctored version, smaller than the real thing.

The clues are the scruffy writing and the line at the bottom, changed from "The Compact Evening Press" to "The Graff Lovin' Evening Press".

To those who saw it and expected to read a terrific exclusive on "Why can't we paint the already graffed wall at the zoo?" in Wednesday night's edition, we apologise.

We can only presume this was an appeal by a graffiti artist who wants to be able to do their thing at the Zoo Skate Park, Foss Bank. If those behind the stunt would like to get in touch to explain further, give us a ring.

Updated: 09:54 Friday, July 08, 2005