Workers were seen today searching through the rubble of Britain’s wonkiest pub after police arrested two men on suspicion of arson.
Specialist teams in white protective suits have been searching through the ruins of the Crooked House in Himley, Staffordshire in order to remove any dangerous materials.
The building’s foundations and brickwork will be kept on site pending a possible rebuilding.
Staffordshire Police said in a statement yesterday that a 66-year-old man from Dudley and a 33-year-old man from Milton Keynes had been arrested on suspicion of arson with intent to endanger life. They remain in custody for questioning.
The historic building, which became famous for its wonky floors and walls, was gutted in a suspected arson attack on August 5 and bulldozed without council permission two days later – sparking both mystery and anger over what happened.
Specialist teams in white protective suits have been searching through the ruins of the Crooked House in Himley, Staffordshire in order to remove any dangerous materials
The building’s foundations and brickwork will be kept on site pending a possible rebuilding
A worker in a protective suit goes through the rubble of the historic pub in search of hazardous materials
Police have arrested two men, aged 33 and 66, on suspicion of arson with intent to endanger life after a fire destroyed the Crooked House pub in Hilmley, Staffordshire
Suspicions grew as the popular pub was destroyed just days after it was sold.
Just last week, the jet-setting owners of the boozer vehemently denied any responsibility.
The couple at the heart of the storm – 34-year-old owner Carly Taylor and her husband Adam – removed themselves from the situation by escaping on holiday in a luxury £15,000-a-week villa in Corfu.
This week, Mr Taylor refused to respond to requests for a statement about the destruction of the much-loved 18th century pub that was about to become a listed building after he was confronted by a Daily Mail reporter.
Previously Taylor – who owns a landfill site next to the inn in Himley, Staffs – had told a reporter to ‘P*** off’ and condemned the outrage surrounding the gutting of the Cooked House as ‘bulls***’.
He told The Sun: ‘Just p*** off and let us have a holiday away from all the lies and bulls*** in England.
Suspicions grew as the popular pub was destroyed just days after it was sold. Pictured are workers going through its rubble today
Thousands of bricks that made up the structure remain in place after it was bulldozed without council permission
A tractor is on site assisting with the major operation to go through the ruins
A worker in a protective suit puts items in an orange plastic bag
An aerial view of the site, which is in the middle of a patch of woodland
‘There was nothing serious. I’m not getting into discussing it.
‘We didn’t answer anything in the UK because of the police investigation so we’re not f***ing gonna answer anything here, are we?
‘When the police finish their investigation I’ll put a story out then, when I’m ready.’
But while the Taylors enjoy their holiday, local people living close to the smoking wreck of The Crooked House have taken matters into their own hands have pledged to stand in the way of workers trying to clear the site until they have some answers.
The site had to be fenced off and patrolled by a security team and dog unit, but a plucky group of protesters made their presence known regardless.
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Emma Smith has been creating handmade t-shirts against the pub’s destruction and has been at the demolition site since it was knocked down.
Until August 5 when it mysteriously burnt down and was then bulldozed without council permission, The Crooked House in Himley, Staffs, held the title of Britain’s wonkiest pub
Andy Taylor and his glamorous jet-setting wife Carly (pictured together) bought the pub two weeks before it went up in flames
While two people have been arrested over arson, the owners of the pub have been enjoying themselves on holiday in Corfu
Remnants of the pub including the sign for the car park still remain at the site
She told MailOnline this week: ‘I’ve been down here since the beginning. I only live less than a minute away.
‘I don’t know what they’re doing, they shouldn’t be touching our bricks. I don’t know what they’re trying to do. Lies and lies.
‘They’ve just had some random people come and just knock it down.
‘It wasn’t one of those pubs that you’d go to every night.
‘We all feel the same about this. We want answers.’
The council has said it is undertaking a thorough and active investigation into the incident and is committed to working with partners ‘using the legal powers available to us’.
On Tuesday, the council said it would monitor work at the site after securing an agreement that bricks and foundations will be kept there.
Mr Taylor (pictured) stormed back to his £15,000-a-week villa on the sun-drenched Greek island after he was confronted by a Daily Mail reporter
Detectives investigating the fire at the Crooked House in Himley, Staffordshire, have detained two men on suspicion of arson with intent to endanger life and they will remain in custody for questioning
The pub, built as a farmhouse in 1765, began sinking on one side because of extensive coal mining in the area. It became a pub known as The Siden House around 1830 – named for the word in the local dialect that meant crooked.
In the 1940s, after being renamed Glynne Arms, the pub was condemned as unsafe until new owners shored it up so it was structurally sound but retained its asymmetrical charms.
It was then called The Crooked House and became a tourist destination. One side of the building was about 4 feet lower than the other and it was known for its tilting grandfather clock and a bar where coins and marbles appeared to roll uphill.
Days before the fire, an online petition was launched to save the bar because the developers who bought it planned to use it for something else. The ‘Save The Crooked House’ petition was up to more than 22,000 signatures Thursday.
When the blaze broke out, firefighters were unable to reach the pub because a large mound of dirt was piled in a rural road.
It was bulldozed without council permission – to the horror of locals – two days after it was gutted when it went up in flames on August 5
An aerial view of the demolition team separating and sorting bricks of the gutted Crooked House pub
The total demolition of the pub had not been approved by the council – who had only permitted the top floor could be demolished over safety fears.
Police have urged anyone with information to contact them by calling 101 or by calling Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
‘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 police force said.
