A man charged with starting a fire that destroyed the 150-year old House of Reeves furniture store in Croydon during the London riots on 8 August today pleaded not guilty to two counts of arson.

Gordon Thompson, 33, of Croydon was remanded in custody at Inner London Crown Court until his trial on 20 February. He is also charged with three counts of burglary and one of violent disorder.
He will return to the court to enter pleas on these charges on 28 October.

The latest hearing came as it merged that the Reeves family is in talks about moving the business to the Allders department store. As part of its insurance conditions it has to look for alternative premises until a final decision is made on the Reeves Corner site. Allders is just one of a number of locations being examined, but the family wants to return to its original site of the now demolished store.

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