Second wonky pub torched just minutes from Crooked House in suspected arson

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A historical "wonky pub" has gone up in flames in a suspected arson attack just a few minutes from where the iconic Crooked House once stood.

The Grade 2 listed 500-year-old Greyhound and Punchbowl pub in Bilston, West Midlands, was allegedly torched on Saturday morning with firefighters rushing to the scene at 3.40am.

The period building – which has bendy exterior beams – is just a 13-minute drive away from the now-demolished Crooked House pub that burned down, making headlines across the UK.

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Footage from the fire shows flames blasting out one of the downstairs windows while members of the public watched helplessly.

Firefighters from West Midlands Fire Service confirmed the building was unsafe to enter on Saturday. The fire was put out by 5.20am but over a quarter of the first floor suffered fire damage, while all three floors were smoked damaged.

The historic pub is thought to have been built in 1450 as a manor house before it was reopened with a license sometime between 1774-1820.

It underwent a thorough restoration in the 1930s when a concrete skin was added to the timber frame for longevity.

Billy Badu, who visited the site during the fire, said: "I thought it was very sad to see such a beautiful building that is probably hundreds of years old, going up in a fire."

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Meanwhile this week Staffordshire Police arrested two more people as their investigation into the fire at the Crooked House pub in Himley, near Dudley, continues.

On Wednesday, a 34-year-old woman and a 44-year-old man from Leicestershire, were arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to commit arson with intent or being reckless as to whether life was endangered.

They were released on bail while the investigation continues. The 66-year-old man, the 51-year-old man and the 33-year-old man, who were previously arrested on suspicion of arson with intent to endanger life, remain on conditional police bail at this time.

Anyone who might have information on the incident is still being asked to get in touch with the police.

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