AN investigation into the cause of the fire at The Crooked House pub at Himley was continuing today (Monday August 7).

The historic landmark pub went up in flames on Saturday night (August 5) and just a shell now remains of the quirky building – dubbed the ‘wonkiest pub in Britain’.

Police were called to the scene off Himley Road at 10.45pm on Saturday (August 5) following reports of an ongoing fire at the premises which was confirmed to have been sold just days before the blaze.

The road was closed and a cordon set up as firefighters from Staffordshire Fire and Rescue Service worked through the night to tackle the flames, with support from West Midlands Fire Service.

A joint police and fire investigation into the cause has been launched and was continuing to take place today (Monday August 7).

Detective Inspector Richard Dancey, from Staffordshire Police CID, said: “This incident has caused a great deal of speculation locally and we understand the significance of the building within the local community.

“We would like to remind the public that our investigation is ongoing and we are reviewing all of the available evidence available alongside fire investigators to determine the cause of the incident.

“Due to the excess damage caused to the structure of the building, the cordon remains in place today and we’re asking people to avoid the area.

“Those who may have any useful information are urged to get in touch with us whilst we continue to complete our lines of enquiry alongside the fire service.”

No-one was inside the building at the time and no-one was injured as a result of the fire.

Staffordshire Fire and Rescue Service said up to 30 firefighters were deployed to the scene after they were alerted to reports of smoke and flames coming from the Crooked House pub at 9.58pm on Saturday.

Station Manager Liam Hickey said: “Crews have worked diligently to safely extinguish the fire and make sure damage was minimised as much as possible.

“We know the significance that the building has within the local community and we are working alongside our colleagues in the police to investigate what happened.

“The building has since been assessed as unsafe and the cordon remains in the area to ensure the safety of the public whilst we continue to carry out our investigation.”

Andy Street, Mayor of the West Midlands, described the incident as a “tragedy” in a Twitter post and he added: “A lot of questions surrounding The Crooked House fire that need answering, and I’m sure the authorities will get to the truth.

“I sincerely hope this iconic Black Country landmark can be restored and preserved.”

There have been many calls on social media for what remains of the building to be salvaged by the Black Country Living Museum which has resurrected many old buildings from across the area to preserve them for future generations.

However, museum bosses said on social media that they would not be able to help.

In a Facebook post, a spokesperson for the museum said: “The fire at The Crooked House, Himley, is obviously devastating news, after the recent sale seemed to offer a future for the building, albeit with a new use.

“Unfortunately, the museum was not in a position to save, let alone relocate, the building. Our hope remains, despite the fire, that The Crooked House can, and will, be restored, and once again have a sustainable use at Himley.”

Pub company Marston’s, which had only in the last few days confirmed news that the famous pub had been sold, said the sale of the venue, as a going concern, had been announced in January and the deal was completed two weeks ago.

Following the blaze, a spokesperson added: “We are shocked and disappointed to learn about the fire which has caused so much damage to a landmark building which is so well known in the area.”

Anyone with information that could help the police investigation is asked to call police on 101, quoting incident 761 of 5 August, or message officers using Live Chat online at staffordshire.police.uk.

Alternatively, people can share information anonymously by calling Crimestoppers on 0800 555111.