Sadness as fire destroys village pub

A pub near Bridgnorth has been left gutted after fire ripped through it.

Tens of thousands of pounds worth of damage was caused to The Red Lion Inn, in Shatterford, near Alveley, as firefighters from Kidderminster, Bewdley and Stourport battled to control the flames.

Much of the 177-year-old pub, which had been boarded up for nine months, was destroyed.

An investigation into what caused the fire is underway and has been passed to Shropshire Fire and Rescue.

The pub was derelict at the time but had recently gone up for auction in London, where it had failed to sell.

Richard Tweedy, who ran the pub as a successful business for 20 years before selling it in 2004, said it was very sad to see the building burned down.

He said: "We came in 1985 and built an extension in 1994, running a very nice and successful business but after working round the clock for 20 years we decided to have a rest and sold it in 2004, when there was still an increase in trade.

"I don't know exactly what happened after that but it failed for a combination of reasons, including the economic climate."

Mr Tweedy, a former Alveley Parish Councillor and Bridgnorth District Councillor, said the pub had been closed and boarded up for the past nine months.