See one of the men police arrested following gas explosion

The pictures below are of one of the men police arrested on suspicion of arson and fraud after a massive gas explosion ripped through a building on the Wirral.

Earlier today Pascal George Francois Blasio, 55, and a 62-year-old man from North Wales were arrested in connection with the disaster in New Ferry.

The blast struck on March 25 leaving 33 people with injuries and several homeless.

Mr Blasio is listed as the director of Homes In Style LTD, a furniture store based at the address at the centre of the devastation.

The discount furniture store and a dance studio at the same address – owned by a separate business – were destroyed in what police now believe was a deliberate arson attempt which also destroyed neighbouring businesses.

Mr Blasio and the North Wales man were arrested on suspicion of conspiring to commit arson with intent or recklessness as to whether life was endangered.

The pair were also questioned on suspicion of committing an offence under the Fraud Act 2006.

When the arrests came a Merseyside Police van was seen parked outside the home listed as Mr Blasio’s address, with forensics workers seen removing computers from the property.

The Daily Post’s sister paper, The Liverpool Echo visited Mr Blasio’s home and made several attempts to speak to him or a member of his family, but did not receive a response.

Neighbours said the family “kept themselves to themselves”.

One man, who did not wish to be named, said Merseyside Police Scientific Support vans were outside the property since around 9am this morning, and that they witnessed forensics experts removing several bags of evidence from the homes.

Mr Blasio’s Facebook page lists him as the managing director of Homes In Style and shows several images of him posing with sofas in the store.

His page – on which the last public post was just days before the explosion – has a series of images of stock in the store alongside prices and descriptions of each item.

Two people were severely injured in the explosion, with around 30 others described as “walking wounded”.

One of the men received serious head injuries and was only recently discharged from the Walton Neurological Centre. He is now being treated at a separate hospital.