Crooked House update: Woman, 34, and man, 44, arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to commit arson
COPS have arrested two more people in their probe into a fire at Britain’s wonkiest pub
The blaze broke out at the Crooked House pub in Himley, Staffordshire, on August 5 reducing it to a pile of rubble.
Cops had already arrested 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.
Now police have revealed they have arrested two more people – a 34-year-old woman and a 44-year-old man – also on suspicion of conspiracy to commit arson with intent or being reckless as to whether life was endangered.
A police statement reads: “They have both been released on conditional police bail while our investigation continues.
“The 66-year-old man, the 51-year-old man and the 33-year-old man, who were all previously arrested on suspicion of arson with intent to endanger life, remain on conditional police bail at this time.
“We are still asking those people who might have information which can help us to get in touch if they haven’t already.”
The famous pub was gutted last month by a suspected arson attack just two days after it was sold.
It was then mysteriously turned to a pile of rubble less than two days later.
Campaigners calling for the pub to be rebuilt have been keeping guard over building site – including 25,000 bricks.
Earlier this month the pub’s foul-mouthed owned denied any responsibility.
Adam Taylor, 44, who was in Corfu with wife Carly and their children — said the family just wanted to get away from the “bull***t” back in England”.
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.
It would have meant that the owners 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.
Once dubbed “Britain’s wonkiest pub”, the boozer was put on the market by brewers Marston’s in March with a guide price of £675,000.
The building was constructed in 1765 as a farmhouse but became a pub in the 1830s with people flocking to see how one side is 4ft (1.2m) lower than the other.
Originally called ‘The Siden House’, meaning crooked in Black Country dialect – the pub got its bizarre effect through subsidence caused by mining in the 1800s.
The Crooked House became known for being the place where coins and marbles seemingly rolled uphill along the bar.
The slanted structure is kept standing as a result of being propped up by buttresses made of bricks and metal bars.
The Crooked House had been a Grade II listed building since 1960.