Two arrested over Crooked House fire as West Midlands mayor again calls for pub to be rebuilt
Two men have been arrested on suspicion of setting the fire which engulfed The Crooked House.
Detectives from Staffordshire Police investigating the blaze at the famous pub arrested the pair on suspicion of arson with intent to endanger life.
A 66-year-old man from Dudley and a 33-year-old man from Milton Keynes are now in custody being questioned.
A Staffordshire Police spokesman said: "The two men remain in custody today (Thursday) and are being questioned by officers while the investigation continues.
"We continue to appeal to anyone with any information which could help us to get in touch. Call 101, quoting incident 761 of 5 August or message us using Live Chat on our website – www.staffordshire.police.uk."
The fire which gutted the historic pub in Himley was on the evening of Saturday, August 5 and caused a wave of revulsion, compounded by the owners bulldozing the remains of the building two days later.
West Midlands Mayor Andy Street responded to the news of the arrests, saying: "A good development."
"Thank you to everyone who’s giving the police and South Staffordshire Council the space they need to conduct their investigations.
"My position on the site hasn’t changed - it must be rebuilt," he continued.
"Those conversations are active and underway."
