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 said six engines were sent 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 has asked people not to drive near the former silk mill as it was "making things difficult", and warned residents to keep windows and doors shut.

A service spokesperson said on Saturday the flames were largely extinguished but crews were still on the scene dealing with a substantial number of hotspots and were expected to remain for some time.

They added the area was still best avoided, with four appliances working from behind the building on Belle Vue Road.

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 officers were at the Co-op on West Street, Leek, to arrange housing and support for evacuated residents.

Local councillor Bill Cawley said about 10 residents had had to leave their homes.

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, 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.

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: "I just think the whole episode is a disgrace, an absolutely disgrace. It reflects extremely badly on the district council.

"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 near the scene on Friday night expressed shock and dismay, telling 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.

"Too often, we see places like this left to deteriorate. Our historic buildings deserve better—they deserve protection, care, and a future.

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

"Windows no more, remaining walls blackened, it's soul destroyed and the familiar silhouette no longer quite the same. Even for those who never stepped inside, the loss feels personal," the post said.

"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.

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."