[Uk] Crooked House: Fire at 'wonkiest' pub treated as arson

A fire which ripped through a landmark pub days before it was unexpectedly demolished is being treated as arson, police say.

The Crooked House, near Dudley in the Black Country, caught fire on Saturday night and was then bulldozed on Monday, prompting anger from local residents.

The pub, once Britain's "wonkiest", was sold by Marston's last month.

Staffordshire Police said on Wednesday investigations were continuing but the blaze was being treated as suspicious.

In a statement the force said: "Our investigation into a fire at the Crooked House on Himley Road last Saturday continues as we try to understand the circumstances, which we are now treating as arson."

South Staffordshire Council said it had not agreed to the total destruction of the site and was investigating whether the demolition of the 18th Century building was unlawful.

It said it had permitted only part of the building to be demolished for safety reasons and the matter had been referred to its legal team with a view to taking enforcement action.

The BBC has attempted to contact the new owners ATE Farms, from Warwickshire.

The property was built in 1765 as a farmhouse but, due to mining in the area during the early 19th Century, one side of the building began to sink, causing its distinct, sloping appearance.

Its notoriety - including an illusion of coins and marbles appearing to roll uphill along the bar - attracted visitors and customers from far and wide before the pub closed and was put on the market in March.

But up to 30 firefighters were called to the Himley area on Saturday evening after the building was spotted alight, however firefighters said they were hampered by mounds of soil prohibiting access to the lane the pub was on.

Within 48 hours it was reduced to a pile of rubble which led to locals coming to visit the remains and show their support.

Andy Street, the mayor of the West Midlands, has called for it to be rebuilt "brick by brick".

Other local politicians, including MPs Sir Gavin Williamson and Jane Stevenson, were among those who also called for a full inquiry.

Dudley MP Marco Longhi said earlier on Wednesday he had written to police to clarify details about the demolition process and added that a lack of information from authorities had "raised animosity" in the local community.

Former landlords Tom and Laura Catton who ran and lived in the pub for more than two years were among the hundreds of people who said they were angry and upset by what had happened.

They visited the site on Tuesday and had one last drink in the rubble.

"It was the focal point of the community and it brought so many people to the community because people had come from all over the world just to have a look at this marble run up the hill," Mrs Catton said.

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