The top floor of a pub appears to have been completely destroyed following a devastating blaze.
A fire broke out on the site of The Travellers Rest in Shiney Row, Houghton-le-Spring, on Saturday night. Firefighters and police attended the scene after being called just after 7.30pm.
Two fire engines from Farringdon and Rainton Bridge attended within minutes and spent almost four hours putting the flames out. The venue, located on Mill Pit, was unoccupied when they arrived and nobody was injured.
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A joint investigation has been launched by Northumbria Police and Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service (TWFRS) to determine the cause of the fire.
A police car remained outside of the pub on Monday morning and a fire extinguisher has been placed by a chair near the front door. Images, captured by Chronicle Live, show significant damage to the top floor of the pub.
At least half of the roof has been completely destroyed, following the blaze, and a number of the windows have been smashed.
A TWFRS spokesperson said "We can confirm that just after 7:30pm on Saturday, 25th March, we received a call about a fire at an unoccupied building.
"Our crews, two from Farringdon and one from Rainton Bridge Community Fire Stations, were on scene in a matter of minutes to extinguish the fire.
"Thankfully no one was injured and the business attached to the unoccupied building was evacuated before we arrived. Our crews extinguished the fire and left the scene at 11:26pm."
Anyone who has any information regarding the fire can contact Northumbria Police via the 'Tell Us Something' page of their website or by calling 101 quoting log NP-20230325-0996.
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