THE man accused of starting the fire which claimed the lives of two promising young jockeys is set to face further charges.

Peter William Brown, 37, appeared before Leeds Crown Court yesterday accused of two counts of murder.

The charges follow a blaze in a block of flats at Norton in September, which resulted in the deaths of Jan Wilson, 19, and 18-year-old Jamie Kyne.

Richard Mansell QC, prosecuting, told the court the prosecution also planned to add alternative charges of manslaughter and arson with intent to endanger life.

Brown, of, Lyndale Caravan Park in Knottingley, West Yorkshire, appeared in court with short, dark-brown hair, wearing a dark suit and spoke only to confirm his name.

He was remanded in custody until his next court appearance, which is expected to take place at Leeds Crown Court on April 26.

The fatal fire at Buckrose Court sent shockwaves throughout Norton, which is home to a number of racehorse trainers, and prompted many tributes to the victims from the racing community.

Mr Kyne, from County Galway in Ireland, and Miss Wilson, from Forfar, Scotland, were in the block of flats when fire spread through it in the early hours of September 5.

Mr Kyne had ridden 29 winners in 2009 prior to his death, was third in the apprentice championship and was widely tipped to have a successful professional career.

An appeal set up in the aftermath of the tragedy by the Norton-based charity Racing Welfare raised £110,000 to help those affected by the fire.

The charity is expected to make a decision on how to distribute the cash this month.