Artists and collectors who lost works of art in the Momart art warehouse fire in May 2004 have launched legal action against the specialist storage company.

Clyde & Co said the 30 claimants included Shirley Conran and the Royal Academy. It described the fire as "an accident waiting to happen".

Well known works such as Tracy Emin's Everyone I Have Ever Slept With 1963 - 1995, and Damien Hirst's Charity, were destroyed in the incident.

Heath Lambert confirmed it was the broker for both Momart and some of the claimants.

Momart said it would "vigorously" defend the claim.