Crooked House blaze treated as arson
Staffordshire Police has said it’s treating Saturday’s fire at The Crooked House as an arson attack.
This follows reports that fire engines were unable to get through to the building, as piles of dirt blocked the road, resulting in firefighters using extra long hoses to get to the flames.
But the landmark pub caught fire on Saturday evening and was then demolished by its new landowner two days after the blaze, all whilst police said an investigation into the cause of the fire was ongoing.
Now, Staffordshire Police say it’s conducting a joint investigation with 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”.
Police are following up on a number of lines of inquiry and working closely with the landowner.
South Staffordshire Council is also investigating potential breaches of both the Town and Country Planning Act and the Buildings Act after the building was demolished.
Leader of the council Cllr Roger Lees said officers had agreed to works with the landowner’s representative on Monday (August 7) to “ensure the safety of the building and the wider site” but “at no point did the council agree the demolition of the whole structure nor was this deemed necessary.
“This council finds the manner in which the situation was managed following the fire completely unacceptable and contrary to instructions provided by our officers”.
The pub began which began life as a farmhouse in 1765, began to sink on one side due to mining activity in the area and was named The Siden House in 1930, with siden meaning crooked.
In the 1940s the pub was set for demolition due to safety concerns, but the Wolverhampton and Dudley Breweries purchased the site and added buttresses to make the structure safe. It’s been known as The Crooked House ever since.
