Historic 'wonky' pub burns down five miles from Crooked House fire as cops probe 'arson' | The Sun

A SECOND pub just five miles from the Crooked House has gone up in flames as cops probe the blaze.

Horror pics show the charred remains of Wolverhampton's Greyhound and Punchbowl pub, which is thought to have been set alight.

Fire crews raced to the pub – which has bendy exterior beams – just before 4am on Saturday.

Despite their efforts, much of the pub's interior, and parts of the outside, were destroyed by the inferno.

It was thought to have been built in 1450 as a manor home, before it was reopened with a license between 1774-1820.

The Grade 2 listed building sits just a 13-minute drive from the Crooked House – which was reduced to rubble after a blaze in August.

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Locals have been left devastated by the fire.

Ivan Addiss, 73, said: "Unfortunately another big part of Bilston is gone, the Greyhound. It's been around for a long, long time.

"There's not much of the old Bilston left now. That's literally been around for hundreds of years, it was the manor house as well. But things change and it looks like some moron has probably thrown a petrol bomb through the window or something.

"Hopefully they might rebuild it, you never know. Inside there's a lot of wood paneling and old fireplaces, and the wood paneling was fantastic."

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Andrew Mason, 59, added: "I was in there not so long ago, it's beautiful with all the wooden paneling.

"Let's hope they restore it to its original glory and what happened to the Crooked House doesn't happen again."

West Midlands Police today said: "We are continuing our enquiries into a suspected arson attack at the Greyhound and Punchbowl in Bilston.

"Officers are carrying out CCTV and door to door enquiries to find out more about the circumstances of how the fire started.

"We were called shortly after 4am on 30 September to support West Midlands Fire Service, who believed the fire had been started deliberately.

"We are hoping anyone who was in the area may have seen more, so anyone with further information can contact us via LiveChat or 101 quoting log 585 of 30 September."

The cops are still probing The Crooked House blaze.

On Thursday a woman, 34, and man, 44, were arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to commit arson.

Cops had already nabbed three men aged 66, 33 and 51 on suspicion of conspiracy to commit arson with intent or being reckless as to whether life was endangered.

All three men were released on conditional bail while enquiries continue.

Suspicion grew as the Crooked House pub in Himley, Staffs, was burnt down just days after it was sold.

On the day of the blaze, Staffordshire and West Midlands fire services raced to the scene on Himley Road to battle the flames but could not contain the inferno.

The shell of the charred pub was reduced to rubble just 36 hours after the blaze.

It was also recently revealed the popular boozer, where coins and marbles would appear to roll uphill along the bar, was put forward for listed status protection days before it was destroyed.

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It would have meant that the owners, who bought the pub only last month, would have needed council permission to knock it down.

And it has been claimed the digger that flattened the charred ruins was hired before the blaze.

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