Man, 33, arrested on suspicion of arson after fire wrecks village pub

The 33-year-old Addingham man was to be held in custody overnight, said police.

A total of 35 firefighters using six fire appliances tackled the fire which took hold in one end of The Fleece pub in Main Street shortly after 4am.

Nobody was in the building at the time, but two chefs sleeping in a flat next-door were woken by firefighters and treated for smoke inhalation.

It is thought a nearby resident called the fire service and sounded his car horn in an attempt to alert anyone still inside the building.

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Villagers also told how Main Street residents rushed from their homes to alert neighbours, fearing the fire could spread.

A section of Main Street remained closed to traffic for the much of the day.

Craig Minto, director of The Well Fed Pub company which owns The Fleece, was at the scene yesterday.

He was told about the blaze in a phone call from a customer at 4.10am.

“We think it was an electrical fault. A couple of the staff were in the adjacent building – two chefs and they had to be woken up by firemen," he said.

“Both of the barns have been gutted but the kitchen isn’t too bad and the public areas are fine, apart from smoke damage.”

Mr Minto said the team would relocate the business to The Craven Heifer, also in Main Street, which would be running a limited Fleece menu.

“I have no idea how long it will be until we reopen The Fleece,” he added.

He praised the community for their messages of support. Many residents, as well as other pubs in Addingham, have left messages on Facebook.

Witness Helen Stansfield, who was staying with family in Main Street, heard several bangs “like gunfire”.

She said: “I looked out of the window and saw the flames, and ran downstairs. We called the fire brigade but they were already aware of it.

“We were knocking on people’s doors to get everyone out. The staff had just slept through it – they were only woken by the firemen banging on the window.”

Another resident was awoken as fire engines arrived and moved her children from their bedroom, concerned about smoke and heat from the blaze.

A spokesman for West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service said: “The fire was under control within an hour, however it has caused significant damage to the public house.”

Fire officers were working alongside structural engineers to assess the building yesterday, before fire investigators could be allowed in.

Anyone with information on the fire is asked to contact Bradford CID on 101.