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Third arrest over fire at Crooked House – ‘Britain’s wonkiest pub’ | UK News

A third man has been arrested over the fire that destroyed the “wonkiest” pub in Britain.

The 51-year-old, from Buckingham, was arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to commit arson with intent or being reckless as to whether life was endangered, Staffordshire Police said.

The Crooked House pub, in Himley near Dudley, burned down on 5 August just two weeks after it was sold to new owners.

Two other men, aged 33 and 66, from Milton Keynes, were arrested on suspicion of arson with intent to danger life on 24 August.

All three suspects have been released by police on conditional bail.

The burnt out remains of The Crooked House pub near Dudley. A fire gutted the 18th century pub just days after it was sold to a private buyer. Firefighters and police were called to the pub in Himley, West Midlands, at 10.45pm on Saturday. The blaze was extinguished and no-one was reported to have been injured, Staffordshire Police said. Picture date: Monday August 7, 2023.
Image:
The remains of the pub after the fire

Crooked House pub burnt down
Pic: Twitter @captain_garratt
Image:
Aerial image of the fire damage. Pic: Twitter @captain_garratt

Within 48 hours of the blaze, the remnants of the 18th century building were demolished without permission.

Staffordshire Council said it had only sanctioned the bulldozing of the top floor following safety fears.

People inspect the rubble remains as they gather at The Crooked House
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The site after the remnants of the building were demolished

According to local Conservative MP Marco Longhi, the demise of the pub has “struck a very real chord of sadness and anger” within the community.

Speaking in the House of Commons, he asked for a debate to take place over how to better protect heritage pubs.

Meanwhile, Staffordshire Police said it had been trawling through CCTV footage as part of its arson investigation and continued to appeal for any more witnesses to come forward.

Police now treating fire at Britain’s ‘wonkiest’ pub The Crooked House as arson | UK News

Police say they are investigating a fire which gutted a historic pub as arson.

A blaze caused extensive damage at The Crooked House near Dudley, an 18th-century building, on Saturday evening, two weeks after it was sold by brewer Marston’s to a private firm.

Up to 30 firefighters were needed to tackle the blaze at the pub in Himley.

The pub became widely regarded as Britain’s “wonkiest” due to one side being significantly lower than the other, caused by the effects of nearby mining.

The remainder of the building was demolished by a mechanical digger on Monday, despite South Staffordshire Council saying it had permitted only the top floor to be demolished for safety reasons.

The Crooked House before the fire
Image:
The Crooked House before the fire

Its total demolition prompted Dudley North MP Marco Longhi to question why police did not intervene.

The council said it also was exploring whether the total demolition constituted a breach of the law.

Staffordshire Police said in a statement: “Our investigation into a fire at The Crooked House on Himley Road last Saturday, 5 August, continues as we try to understand the circumstances, which we are now treating as arson.

People inspect the rubble remains as they gather at The Crooked House

“We’re conducting a joint investigation with colleagues at Staffordshire Fire and Rescue Service and are liaising closely with their fire investigators, who have confirmed that the cause of the fire cannot currently be determined.

“However, police are following up on a number of lines of enquiry.”

Detective Chief Superintendent Tom Chisholm added: “We understand the significance of this much-loved building and the upset and anger felt by many, so want to reassure you we’re doing all we can to understand more about what happened, and who was responsible.”

The burnt out remains of The Crooked House pub near Dudley. A fire gutted the 18th century pub just days after it was sold to a private buyer. Firefighters and police were called to the pub in Himley, West Midlands, at 10.45pm on Saturday. The blaze was extinguished and no-one was reported to have been injured, Staffordshire Police said. Picture date: Monday August 7, 2023.
Image:
The burnt out remains of the 18th century pub

He warned against “unhelpful” misinformation “circulating within communities and online” and said police are “trying to provide accurate and timely updates, but this takes time”.

Police said following an examination by a specialist fire investigator, into the cause of the incident they “believe the fire may have been started deliberately”.

The burnt out remains of The Crooked House pub near Dudley. A fire gutted the 18th century pub just days after it was sold to a private buyer. Firefighters and police were called to the pub in Himley, West Midlands, at 10.45pm on Saturday. The blaze was extinguished and no-one was reported to have been injured, Staffordshire Police said. Picture date: Monday August 7, 2023.

Officers and specialist accelerant detection dogs visited the site on Wednesday to investigate the grounds.

In a letter written by Mr Longhi, he questioned who was responsible for the demolition of the building and asked whether the police were notified before it took place, adding that the “public is extremely angry”.

In their response on Wednesday, DCS Chisholm said: “There are certain things that police and fire do not have the powers to deal with, the decision around partial demolition of the building, for example, when the scene was handed back to the owner”.

People inspect the rubble remains as they gather at The Crooked House

Since its demolition, Andy Street, the mayor of the West Midlands, said that local authorities will “get to the truth” and that he will continue to “keep the pressure on for a rebuild”.

It follows an online petition, set up by long-time regular Paul Turner, titled ‘Save The Crooked House’. The petition has attracted more than 13,000 signatures so far.