Bulldozers move in on Wolverhampton Strykers site

Diggers have moved in to demolish the charred remains for the former attraction after it went up in flames last month.

The building, in Shaw Road, Bushbury, was destroyed in the blaze on December 22.

It was so intense it caused part of the building, which remained empty following its closure in October, to collapse.

Firefighters declared the blaze was being treated as arson and a police said today that an investigation into how it started was still ongoing.

Yesterday the building, which had been due to be put up for sale, was being bulldozed for safety reasons. The owner Sam Samra, from Lower Penn, had revealed the site would be flattened as it was 'dangerous'.

Speaking in the aftermath of the blaze Mr Samra said he was 'devastated, gutted and shocked'.

Up to 100 firefighters tackled the inferno for three hours as fire engulfed the building.

So fierce were the flames and heat from the inferno that police shut off nearby Bushbury Lane forcing traffic to divert through Low Hill and Park Village to get Dunstall Hill.

The venue had been a bowling alley since the 1980s, and was a favourite haunt for many teenagers and adults alike.

Shortly after its closure in October it was targeted by metal thieves who looted copper pipes and caused thousands of pounds worth of damage.

Firefighters from across the Black Country and Birmingham were called in to tackle the blaze.

One firefighter suffered minor injuries to his ankle during the operation and had to be taken to hospital as a precaution.

For the three hours fire crews had to fight the blaze from the outside.

The fire was too intense to enter the building, and chiefs feared that it was structurally unsafe.

A new KFC takeaway restaurant is currently being built near to the site of the old bowling alley on land which used to house Bushbury Working Men's club.

Once open it will create 40 new jobs for the area.