Dudley MP vows to leave 'no stone unturned' after historic pub fire
The Crooked House in Himley was devastated by a fire on Saturday night.
Last updated 7th Aug 2023
The MP for Dudley North says he'll "leave no stone unturned" to get to the bottom of what caused a fire, which devastated the historic Crooked House pub.
The fire on Saturday night, which needed 30 firefighters to extinguish, came just two weeks after the building was sold by brewer Marston's to a private buyer.
Six fire crews from Staffordshire Fire and Rescue Service and the West Midlands Fire Service were called at 9.58pm.
While no one was inside the building at the time of the fire or injured in the blaze, the building remains unsafe and its future is unknown.
Conservative MP for Dudley North Marco Longhi said: “The visuals of the fire have hit me with sadness and anger, and I am sure Gornal and many residents around Dudley feel the same.
“I can assure my constituents that I will leave no stone unturned to get to the bottom of this. I will reach out to all relevant departments and enforcement agencies to make sure they make all necessary efforts to find out the cause of this fire. If it has been deliberate then it is essential to bring its perper tractors to justice.”
Detective Inspector Richard Dancey from Staffordshire Police said: “This incident has caused a great deal of speculation locally and we understand the significance of the building within the local community.
“We would like to remind the public that our investigation is ongoing and we are reviewing all of the available evidence available alongside fire investigators to determine the cause of the incident.
“Due to the excess damage caused to the structure of the building, the cordon remains in place today and we’re asking people to avoid the area.
“Those who may have any useful information are urged to get in touch with us whilst we continue to complete our lines of enquiry alongside the fire service.”
Station Manager Liam Hickey, of SFRS, who attended the scene, said: "Crews have worked diligently to safely extinguish the fire and make sure damage was minimised as much as possible.
"We know the significance that the building has within the local community and we are working alongside our colleagues in the police to investigate what happened.
"The building has since been assessed as unsafe and the cordon remains in the area to ensure the safety of the public whilst we continue to carry out our investigation."