Officers launch arson inquiry over break-in at empty landmark pub

The fire at the derelict Bushbury Arms in Showell Circus, Low Hill, Wolverhampton, is being treated as arson.

The blaze was the second in the area in a week after the iconic Strykers Bowling Alley, which is less than a mile away in Shaw Road, went up in flames in another arson attack.

But police today said they do not believe the two fires are linked.

Officers have also revealed that a piece of boarding was ripped from a window at the pub before it was set alight.

A bar on the ground floor of the building was damaged in Friday's fire.

Firefighters were called to the vacant pub at around 6.40pm on Friday and there were signs of a break-in when crews first arrived.

Around 10 per cent of the ground floor was affected by the blaze. The pub has been on the market.

Bushbury South and Low Hill ward representative Councillor Peter O'Neill, a retired firefighter, said: "The Bushbury Arms is regarded as a landmark building overlooking the village green. It is a feature of the landscape of the estate.

"If there is substantial damage caused to the property, I would be very disappointed.

"Hopefully, after this sorry incident, it can be refurbished.

"After the incident last weekend at Strykers Bowling Alley, which is less than a mile away, this latest fire is really a sorry end to the year for the Low Hill community."

Detectives are appealing for any witnesses to call them on 101.