Crooked House owners propose rebuilding pub in different place

The Crooked House was first built in 1765 as a farmhouse but due to mining in the area during the early 19th Century, one side of the building began to gradually sink.

It became a Black Country icon that attracted attention from all over the world.

The pub caught fire on 5 August in a suspected arson attack and was demolished two days later.

Staffordshire Police said five men and one woman were arrested and bailed in connection with the fire.

ATE Farms Limited said rebuilding in the current location in line with the enforcement notice would still "not provide a sustainable community facility" as the building was not this prior to its sale by the Marstons brewery.

The owners said people had not been using the building "for it to be viable as a pub" and its location and lack of footfall were key to this.

Instead, the owners said they had put forward a "genuine and practical" solution to rebuild the Crooked House on other land it owned, further north of Crooked House Lane.

"In its current location, should it be rebuilt, there is no doubt that there would be a huge amount of interest in the first few months, however, this does not translate to continued and sustained interest to make the building work as pub going forward," they said.

The re-built building would be run as a pub, with other development to increase footfall, and to give it "a real chance of success as a community asset".