Four arrested on suspicion of arson at Leopard Hotel

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Four men have been arrested on suspicion of arson and burglary after a fire destroyed one of Stoke-on-Trent’s most famous pubs.

Police confirmed this afternoon that the two men have since been released under investigation pending further investigations.

They are all from Stoke on Trent and aged 23, 30, 33 and 51. The suspects were arrested at the scene of the fire at the Leopard Hotel in Burslem, yesterday.

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The vacant pub was engulfed in flames just after 1.30pm. The firefighters are now expected to remain at the site for several days.

Police say they are working with the Staffordshire Fire and Rescue Service to formally determine the cause of the fire. Structural engineers have also been called in to assess the damage.

Inspector Matt Binion said: “We would like to thank the local community for their patience and support as we continue the investigation this afternoon.

“We know this incident has affected the local community, as The Leopard is a popular historic building in Stoke-on-Trent, but we are asking the public to avoid the area at this time.

We have received reports of private drones flying over the site, which could damage professional drones and interfere with their work to help the fire service. You can also endanger officers and commit a criminal offense. We will follow up on these reports and take appropriate action.

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“The emergency services presence is expected to remain at the scene for the next few days, with neighborhood patrols also increasing.

“Anyone who was in the area at the time of the fire, or may have any information that could assist our investigation, is requested to contact.”

Any witnesses are urged to contact Staffordshire Police on Facebook or Twitter, citing incident number 292 of January 22. Alternatively, they can call Police Key at 101 or Crimestoppers Anonymous at 0800 555 111.

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