Photos show how iconic Crooked House was gutted by fire and reduced to rubble in days
Fully ablaze to finally being reduced to a pile of rubble – these photos have documented the devastation caused to the Black Country's landmark Crooked House pub since the weekend.
The 18th century building in Himley, which was one of the most iconic pubs in the region, caught fire on Saturday night.
A photo posted on Facebook showed the famous venue on fire with flames and smoke pouring out.
Staffordshire Fire & Rescue Service said the call came in at 10pm and six crews from both Staffordshire and West Midlands Fire Service were at the scene.
After firefighters managed to extinguish the blaze, new pictures and drone shots showed the extent of the damage caused to the historical and well-loved pub, where guests once watched coins and marbles seemingly roll uphill along the bar.
It left the pub a hollow shell, with only the exterior of the building still standing, but with people hoping that it could still be preserved and kept in its current form.
However, in photos published on a Facebook page, the building appears to have been completely demolished, with rubble lying everywhere, and only the gazebo from the pub still visible.
The person responsible for posting those photos said her husband had taken them at around 5.30pm on Monday, but said she felt the building had been knocked down earlier in the day.
Many people have since vented their anger about the swift nature of the demolition and the loss of an historical building.
It comes as Staffordshire Police and Staffordshire Fire & Rescue Service are continuing to investigate the cause of the blaze.
In a statement issued on Monday, Detective Inspector Richard Dancey, from 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 alongside fire investigators to determine the cause of the incident.
"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."
A Facebook campaign to have the pub protected and rebuilt has attracted almost 5,000 members.
Anyone with information that may help the investigation is urged to contact Staffordshire Police quoting incident 761 of August 5.