Shocking stuff.
@mrjamesob Here’s a link to the virtual tour we did for previous owners earlier this year if you’ve never seen inside. Google Maps will take it down soon, but I’m sure we’ll keep it hosted on our own servers as a historic record when it disappears. virtuallythere.co/new/the-crooke…
@mrjamesob I'm a local and can say we're absolutely furious about this. If the developers and Marstons think we'll let this go they have another thing coming. It's our heritage.
@mrjamesob Hmm 🤔 thats alot of coincidence going on there
@mrjamesob Agreed. And heartening to see how many really care and are following closely. Such a wonderful, quirky and very old pub.
@mrjamesob This is one crime that Clouseau himself could solve. It reeks to high heaven. A little piece of the DNA of any of us born in the Black Country has gone forever.
@mrjamesob How did they manage to get the demolition team organised so quickly? It is almost as if they knew it was going to burn down. 🤷🏻♂️
@mrjamesob Great footage. I really hope this gets shown everywhere and has been passed on to police and council, who seem to be on to it at least. This is no 'professional demolition company' at work either..this is a very local job.. 😡 bbc.co.uk/news/uk-englan…
@mrjamesob It's good that there has been so much local and national outrage over this. Local authorities must now take the strongest possible enforcement action, possibly even involving rebuilding, to deter developers from carrying out these, all too common, crimes. #CrookedHouse
@mrjamesob that's the site of an actual police investigation isn't it? The crimes are racking up now. (possibly) Arson, obstruction of justice... Fun times.
@mrjamesob The circumstances surrounding this incident are as crooked as the building was.
@mrjamesob Sadly this appears to be a fairly common practice. Teardowns before planning permission can be punished by full restoration, but it's incredibly difficult to prove that accidents are not. I have suspicions about Camden Market and a few listed buildings I loved.
@mrjamesob It would be modestly chortlesome if the council orders a replica reconstruction - it's happened before - to include all the quirks of the building
@mrjamesob @hollylol4 Brazen. We have a term for that in German: 'warmer Abbruch' - warm demolition
@mrjamesob It really could not be more obvious that this was a deliberate attempt to free up prime land for the building of (with an educated guess) a block of very expensive apartments or some high end houses. Burn it down, demolish it fast and create an eyesore the council will not want.
@mrjamesob Let's hope @Channel4News are over this as I'm sure most of the other don't even care .
@mrjamesob I wonder what the @hse would make of the safety arrangements at that demolition job? What the Building Control Surveyor said about demolition or not (and independence from the developer or not)? And what the Police are saying about disturbing evidence of the obvious arson?
@mrjamesob Even when a fire is accidental, Loss Adjusters’ consent is required before demolition, and this takes time. My instincts and experience tell me that not only will insurers not pay, but the new owners may find themselves legally obliged to reinstate; this ain’t over
@mrjamesob @cns46z Time to start criminal investigations into what started the fire in the first place I would suggest. Follow the money - who stands to gain by the building burning & the subsequent illegal demolition?
@mrjamesob Scandalous at best, criminal at worst
@mrjamesob Maybe they should do the same with the other Crooked House in Westminster, James?
@mrjamesob Hmmm..... do I smell the heady whiff of .... #ToryScum ?!🤣
@mrjamesob I wonder when the digger was hired? I hope that the FB, police and council follow up. The insurance company should investigate as this could be deliberate arson. The rubble must not be transported off-site so that evidence is lost.
@mrjamesob @PaulAnthonyTho6 Such bad luck. First it gets sold, then accidentally burns down just at the moment fire service access is restricted to the building and THEN it’s accidentally demolished. What are the odds huh?!
@mrjamesob What has emboldened grifters and chancers so much over the last decade or so. 🤔
@mrjamesob 30 years ago we lived in Cedar Close, named for a large, beautiful cedar tree in the grounds of the original large house which was converted to offices. New owners applied to remove the tree for parking space which was refused. 6 months later tree was mysteriously dead.
@mrjamesob Not in the least bit suspect. Wasn't there a recent story about a developer demolishing a listed building and being ordered to rebuild it?
@mrjamesob It doesn't look suspicious at all!!!
@mrjamesob I'm sure those behind this were hoping this would've all passed off without much hassle, it hasn't. Be interesting to see if they've played by the book, if not there's hope yet as the Carlton Tavern incident demonstrated. theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2…
@mrjamesob This is typical of Tory Britain: corruption and greed allowed to go unprosecuted. Let's support a complete rebuild, assuming the original bricks are still available!
@mrjamesob Make them rebuild it brick by brick. It was Grade II listed!
@mrjamesob @MaddestMa Covering up what - we are bound to wonder
@mrjamesob Worth reading closely. bbc.co.uk/news/uk-englan…
@mrjamesob Trying to do the same in Norwich.. eveningnews24.co.uk/news/23549278.…
@mrjamesob Thank you for helping this story spread, James. Like the Carlton Tavern, the Crooked House must be rebuilt. It’s been there longer than the Ironbridge!