Historic pub damaged in town centre fire

A fire which swept through Wimborne, Dorset at the weekend has left the town's oldest pub shut.

The Albion Inn, a 17th Century coaching inn, has been closed by owners Hall & Woodhouse to assess any damage to its structure.

Fire crews from across Dorset were called to Wimborne on Saturday afternoon (July 4) to tackle the blaze, which took more than seven hours to control, and caused considerable damage to a number of shops and flats, as well as the Albion.

Paul Bunting, tenanted commercial director for Hall & Woodhouse, said: "Eyewitness reports suggest the fire broke out in an adjacent building and spread to the Albion.

"We've closed the pub while we assess the damage, particularly in terms of ensuring that the roof is safe, and we're talking to our loss adjusters. We hope to be able to reopen the pub soon."

A spokeswoman for the Dorset Fire Service said an electrical fault had initially been identified as the most likely cause of the fire, but "investigations are ongoing."

The fire spread quickly through a terrace of timber-framed buildings which includes the pub.

Homes and businesses were evacuated while around 90 firefighters worked to extinguish the blaze, but there were no injuries reported.