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Safety concerns hamper inspectors after blaze

Andrew DawkinsWest Midlands
BBC Scaffolding is on the left of the image in front of a three-storey building. Part of a police car is at the bottom on the left, near to a police van on the right. BBC
Dozens of firefighters were at the scene on Stafford Street in Hanley earlier this month

The cause of a blaze in a derelict three-storey building remains inconclusive as safety concerns are hampering a full inspection, the fire service says.

Dozens of firefighters were called to the scene on Stafford Street in Stoke-on-Trent city centre on the night of 9 July.

Staffordshire Fire and Rescue Service has now confirmed that due to "the structural integrity of the building, a full inspection remains unsafe".

Surrounding roads in Hanley were closed as a result of the blaze, which broke out at 00:40 BST.

About 40 firefighters worked to stop the fire spreading to other premises.

The blaze affected the first and second floors of the building as well as the loft space.

Scaffolding is on the left in front of two visible storeys of a building, not the ground floor. The blue sky is at the top of the image.
Dozens of firefighters were called to deal with the blaze at night

Roof tiles had to be removed from the building to enable firefighters to tackle the blaze, the fire service said.

On 10 July, it confirmed the fire had been extinguished, but crews were at the scene to dampen down hot spots.

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