Man hurt in huge blaze at historic factory site in Walsall

A blaze ripped through a 140-year-old factory site in Walsall today.

Arson is suspected at the former saddle-making firm. (Picture taken by Jozef Lopuszynski)

A 37-year-old man was badly burned in the fire.

Firefighters were called to the old Jabez Cliff & Co leatherworks at 1.30am.

The main factory was pulled down in October last year, just months after a blaze tore through it.

The site, in Lower Forster Street, had been earmarked for two GP surgeries and a pharmacy.

Twenty firefighters battled for more than an hour to bring the flames under control. One crew manned a hydraulic platform to fight the blaze from above.

The building, measuring 100ft by 100ft, was totally destroyed in the fire.

Crew Commander Oliver Taylor said: "The flames were through the roof by the time we got there and the heat was intense. There was nothing that could be done to save the building."

A man suffered 40 per cent burns at the scene. Police say it is not clear what he was doing there. He was taken to Walsall Manor Hospital for treatment.

Last August more than 60 firefighters tackled a huge fire at the site which closed off many of the main roads in the town centre for hours.

Demolition began in early October. The site has since been largely cleared.