Arrest after major fire tears through historic mill

An 18-year-old man has been arrested after a major fire broke out at a historic mill in Staffordshire, causing a number of nearby homes to be evacuated.

Staffordshire Fire and Rescue Service was called to The Big Mill, a Grade II listed building in Mill Street, Leek, at 21:22 GMT on Friday.

Staffordshire Police said the arrested man, from Leek, was being held in custody on suspicion of arson with recklessness as to whether life was endangered.

The fire service said six crews battled the blaze at its height and there were four crews still at the scene. Part of the building will have to be demolished, it added, as it has been left structurally unsound.

Station Manager Jonathan Ashby said: "The fire is under control but has yet to be extinguished as crews are unable to enter the building at this time.

"The large cordon is still in place and we're expected to be in the area for some time whilst we work to bring the incident to a safe and swift conclusion."

Speaking at the scene, Staffordshire fire group manager Martin Weaver said: "The building now is structurally unsound, so the worry is that it could collapse."

He said the service was working with the local authority, building inspectors and "demolition" to look at how to make it safe.

"It's in an unsafe manner at the minute, and we're going to have to bring it down to safe levels," he added.

People nearby are advised to keep their windows and doors closed as a precaution due to the excess smoke still coming from the building.

The service confirmed that no-one had been reported injured.

Fire officials said they had received a total of 118 calls about the incident.

People in the area reported the derelict building appeared "completely burned out" by 23:00.

Staffordshire Moorlands Police said about 40 people had been evacuated and officers were at the Co-op on West Street, Leek, to arrange housing and support for those affected.

Anyone in need of accommodation should call an out-of-hours homeless support line on 0808 1692333, they added.

The six-storey building, which has a bell tower, dates back to 1860 according to its Historic England listing, and is one of the earliest mill buildings of its scale in the town.

It was last used as a mill in the 1980s and was then home to a pine manufacturer and workshop.

It has been derelict since 2007, Councillor Bill Cawley said.

The Labour representative for Leek West on Staffordshire Moorlands District Council said he had previously warned about hazards and antisocial behaviour at the building, which had been bought by a developer.

An application was submitted by Atique Choudhury in 2019 to convert the site to 55 flats.

The councillor said two previous fires at the site were mentioned during a meeting he attended with the fire service and environmental health in August, and flammable materials such as wood, cardboard and a can of petrol had been removed from the building's basement.

Young people had also been seen on the building's roof in December 2024, he added.

Cawley claimed the council had been very slow in dealing with the plans, saying it had asked for a structural report in 2022, but the developer had "delayed".

He said an online meeting with Choudhury last August to sort out the future of the building had been "shambolic", with the developer and his architect participating from a busy London cafe and their contributions barely audible.

Cawley added: "It's been placid, it just shows the lack of power a small district council has in dealing with developers."

Staffordshire District Moorlands Council has been contacted for a response.

Choudhury told the BBC: "I'm very sad and emotional having been on a journey putting in time, effort, and resources and was getting close to seeing the building developed."

He added the building had been made secure for safety reasons.

He also said English Heritage had identified the building for rescue and had requested pictures of the inside, which were also shared with Cawley.

Local residents told the BBC the building was "a piece of Leek's history".

"It's one of the mills that's never been touched, as in redevelopment, but there's only one thing now: demolition I think," said one man.

Another resident said. "It's a shame the councils don't let them get on and do something with these buildings, they just let them go to rack and ruin. I think there'll be a lot of sadness because it's been here so long."

Councillor Joe Porter, member for Brown Edge and Endon, said it had been "incredibly sad" to see "one of Leek's most iconic landmarks" alight.

"Historic buildings like this are more than bricks and mortar—they are pieces of our national heritage. Once they're gone, they can never truly be replaced," he posted on social media.

Local shop The Artisan Cave posted on Facebook there was a "heavy feeling" in the town, with a "quiet shock" settling over its residents.

"The Big Mill wasn't just an old building—it was part of Leek's memory."

Staffordshire Police said Mill Street and surrounding streets would be closed for some time and advised motorists to use alternative routes.

Mill Street Kitchen said the road closures would mean it could not deliver to some customers, but said its site was accessible on foot.

Staffordshire Moorlands MP Dame Karen Bradley wrote on Facebook: "I was so sad to see the terrible fire at the Big Mill in Leek last night."

She thanked emergency services, adding: "I hope that everyone is safe."

Follow BBC Stoke & Staffordshire on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.