Locals express shock at historic Leek mill fire
Police have arrested an 18-year-old man on suspicion of arson after a large fire at a building in Staffordshire
A fire that has ripped through a historic mill in Leek is now under control, according to local authorities.
A teenager has been arrested on suspicion of arson after a fire tore through the Big Mill, a grade II listed building in Staffordshire.
Emergency services were called to The Big Mill in Leek last night at around 9:22pm (Friday 27 March), where smoke and flames were seen coming from the building.
No-one has been reported injured.
In a statement, Staffordshire Police said:
"We were called at 9.35pm on last night (Friday 27 March) to reports that The Big Mill on Mill Street, Leek, was on fire.
"An 18-year-old man, from Leek, has been arrested on suspicion of arson with recklessness as to whether life was endangered. He remains in custody. Â
"Anyone with relevant information, CCTV, dashcam or doorbell footage should call us on 101 quoting incident number 733 of 27 March."
Residents of The Print Works, Belle Vue Road and Albert Street have now been given permission by crews to return to their homes after many were evacuated last night.
Work is ongoing to make the building safe, while an investigation into the cause of the fire is underway.
Impact on local residents:
Local residents have been describing the fire as 'devastating.'
David Payne works at Mill Street Kitchen, which situates around 500 meters away from where the blaze happened.
With road works already in place, and now the main route into Leek being disrupted due to the fire, businesses worry about future trade.
Payne said:
"We're definitely going to stay open so that fire crews and police can have somewhere to get food and use the toilet, but it is a worry on how the business is going to cope with so much disruption."
Rebecca Done, a resident of Leek, looked out of her bedroom window to see the blaze when the incident took place last night.
She described how the Big Mill now looks:
"The big Mill did have a roof on it, which has now disappeared, along with a missing wall at the back of the building.
"You can see straight through it, the windows are charred, and it's just very sad."
The Big Mill, that has stood for 170 years is a huge part of Leek's heritage and history.
Done said that it's loss will have a huge impact on the town:
"It's very sad to see because it's a part of Leek's heritage. To see that go up in flames and destroyed in one night is devastating for the town."
Staffordshire Police and Staffordshire Fire and Rescue are now working with Staffordshire Moorlands District Council to make sure the building and surrounding area is safe.