The police are now treating the fire at the historic Crooked House pub – ‘Britain's wonkiest pub’ – as arson.
The Black Country pub, the Crooked House, was demolished on Monday after a fire gutted the 18th century building over the weekend.
South Staffordshire Council leader Roger Lees said that the destruction of the historic building was ‘completely unacceptable and contrary to instructions provided by our officers.’
Staffordshire Police have now confirmed they are treating the fire as arson.
In an update on their investigation, a statement from the Staffordshire Police said: ‘In this case, we believe the fire may have been started deliberately and police are now leading the investigation.’
