09 August 2023 , 16:10
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An advertising executive has offered to reward "handsomely" any "whistleblower" who can tell how a historic pub came to be burnt down and then demolished.
Just 48 hours after a fire ripped through The Crooked House in Himley, near Dudley, there was a total demolition of the landmark pub and South Staffordshire Council said it is investigating potential breaches of the law. Its officers had carried out a site visit but had not agreed to "the demolition of the whole structure" or deemed that it was necessary.
Police and fire service experts are investigating the cause of a fire late on Saturday. It completely gutted the 18th century pub, two weeks after it was sold by brewer Marston's to a firm based in Warwickshire.
The Crooked House, which was famously lopsided as a result of quarry work nearby, had stood at the site for 258 years and its loss has attracted anger in the local community and further afield. Among those voicing concern over what happened to The Crooked House is 63-year-old advertising executive Trevor Beattie, originally from Birmingham.
The historic pub before it was burnt down (PA)The businessman has said he will pay reward "handsomely" any whistleblower who can tell how the pub was burnt down. Taking to Twitter, Mr Beattie posted: "Crooked House scandal: I will pay any whistleblower. HANDSOMELY. #CrookedHouse". He also tweeted of the Crooked House: "1765-2007: cigarettes lit, smoked and discarded in the bar.
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"It doesn't burn down. 1939-1945: Luftwaffe rains incendiary bombs on the West Midlands. It doesn't burn down. July 2023: It sells to property developers. August 2023: The Crooked House burns down. And is demolished."
Meanwhile, Dudley North MP Marco Longhi has asked why police did not intervene in the demolition given that the investigation into the blaze at the site was ongoing. In a letter to Chief Constable Chris Noble of Staffordshire Police, Mr Longhi questioned whether police were notified of the demolition.
People want answers to how the pub came to be burnt down and then demolished (Nick Wilkinson/Birmingham Live)In the letter Mr Longhi said: "The lack of information being provided to the public has raised animosity amongst the local community in relation to the investigation. As an MP even I am not encouraged by the way matters were dealt with by the relevant authorities.
"To make matters worse, this site was demolished the day after it caught fire, which raises strong questions. If the police are investigating the fire incident, then why would the site be demolished whilst the police are conducting their enquiries, which may possibly require a forensic examination to gather evidence?"
Mr Longhi asked the force about who was responsible for demolishing the site, whether police were notified and if so, why they did not intervene if it could have interfered with their investigation, and also whether the force was in correspondence with other authorities. Staffordshire Police have said that their investigation continues and that it is looking at "all of the available evidence" into the cause of the blaze, which has not yet been established.