A 'horrific' fire which ripped through a former County Durham pub is being treated as arson.
Emergency services were called to the former Crown and Thistle pub on North Road, Catchgate, near Annfield Plain, on Thursday afternoon (October 8) after flames engulfed the disused building.
A spokesperson for Durham Police said: “An investigation is underway following a fire at a disused pub in Annfield Plain.
“Police were called to the premises in North Road, Catchgate, just before 4.45pm yesterday (October 8).
“Colleagues from the fire service also attended and extinguished the blaze.
“The fire is being treated as arson. Suspects have been identified and arrest attempts are ongoing.”
(Image: SUPPLIED)
Durham County Council deputy leader Councillor Darren Grimes described the scene as “horrific” and thanked firefighters and other emergency services for their efforts.
One resident said they spotted “pillars of smoke” while leaving Tesco shortly after 5pm.
Another local resident, who has lived in Catchgate for around 15 years, said his wife first noticed smoke coming from the building before the blaze rapidly intensified.
He told The Northern Echo: “My wife spotted it first and it was smoking, then all of a sudden it got a lot worse.
“I got on the phone straight away and called the fire brigade, and they were there in about 15 minutes.”
Police raided the The Crown and Thistle, which has been closed since late 2023, in May, finding 400 cannabis plants which were later destroyed.
(Image: DURHAM CONSTABULARY)
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Dramatic pictures from the scene showed firefighters using ladder platforms to tackle the blaze as large sections of the pub's roof were destroyed.
Residents living opposite the building described the incident as “frightening”, with one couple expressing concerns about further structural damage.
Police enquiries remain ongoing.