Owners of Crooked House pub spotted in Corfu as questions surface over blaze

18 August 2023 , 06:22

545     0

Crooked House was destroyed in a fierce fire this month (Image: BPM Media)

The owners of "Britain's wonkiest pub" - ravaged in a huge fire this month - have been spotted sunning themselves in Corfu days after police spoke to them as part of its probe.

Carly and Adam Taylor have helped with the investigation into the fire at The Crooked House, a historic 18th Century pub near Dudley, West Midlands. The blaze gutted the pub - famed for its bar seeming to slide uphill as it was built on old mining terrain.

Four days after the inferno, police confirmed it was being treated as arson and said the force had spoken to, and continue to engage with, the owners.

Mr and Mrs Taylor, who only bought the property from brewery Marston's days before the fire, were later seen sunning themselves abroad.

Police have engaged with Carly Taylor and her husband Adam, who became owners of the pub recently (Facebook)

They were pictured on Greek holiday island Corfu, a trip that follows a recent trip to Dubai, according to The Sun. Marston's sold the building to ATE Farms Limited, a firm controlled by former hairdresser and nail technician Mrs Taylor, 34. Her husband is a shareholder and ex-director of Himley Environmental Ltd, which runs a landfill site next door to the former pub.

Pub giant behind Slug and Lettuce 'to sell 1,000 pubs' in new blow for boozers

Yesterday, South Staffordshire Council made a Tree Protection Order on the land surrounding the former site to protect the nearby woodland. A meeting, organised by MP for Dudley North Marco Longhi, was held last night to provide residents with an opportunity to air their concerns about the destruction of the landmark.

Remains of the demolished building, near Dudley, have been fenced off (PA)

Police have made several updates since the blaze, the latest of which - on August 11 - said officers were trawling through CCTV, and conducting forensics and witness accounts in a bid to understand the circumstances which led to the fire. Staffordshire Constabulary also spoke to the Taylors, who are current and former directors of 18 companies mainly involved in waste management and property development.

But the force denied reports any arrests were made in connection with the fire. It said: "We understand there is some speculation about people being arrested, this is not the case currently." The force added: "We fully recognise the impact of the fire and later demolition of the building on the community, given the significance of this distinctive and popular attraction.

The fire happened after thousands signed a petition to save the boozer from permanent closure (Anita Maric / SWNS)

"We’d like to provide further reassurance that the building was not demolished while under police control. Following the conclusion of the examination by fire investigators and our own investigators, the site was released back to the owner. Prior to this, South Staffordshire Council officers met with the landowner to ensure that the site was left safe.

"As has been publicly stated by the council, advice was offered to the landowner to partially remove some elements of the building with the purpose of making the building safe. Advice was also offered to use fencing and security staff to maintain the security of the site. As the site had been returned to the landowner a police presence was no longer required on the site."

The force previously said: "This fire has shocked and upset so many given the, albeit not listed, cultural importance and heritage of the building. This is not lost on us and a robust investigation using all available information and forensic opportunities is being carried out.

"We have spoken to, and continue to engage, with the owners. However, speculation is extremely unhelpful and could hinder our investigation. 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."

The iconic building, described by locals as a national institution, smouldered (BPM Media)

Speaking yesterday, Leader of South Staffordshire Council, Councillor Roger Lees, said: "As part of our ongoing processes, South Staffordshire Council has made a Tree Protection Order on the land surrounding the former Crooked House site to protect the nearby woodland. We are aware a meeting is taking place this evening, organised by MP for Dudley North Marco Longhi, to provide residents with an opportunity to air their concerns.

"The council continues to pursue its own lines of enquiry and work closely with partners, the police, and elected representatives on this matter. While South Staffordshire Council fully appreciates the public concern regarding the situation, we will not be attending today’s meeting, as we must treat our investigation with absolute priority. While the investigations being carried out by both ourselves and the police are ongoing, we are unable to comment further as we cannot risk prejudicing or hampering any live cases.”

Bradley Jolly