The owners of Britain’s wonkiest pub have been ordered to rebuild Crooked House after it was unlawfully demolished.

       South Staffordshire Council served an enforcement notice to the owners of the pub after a fire and subsequent demolition of the building in August last year.

       Despite engaging with the owners since the demolition, the council said formal action was deemed necessary.

       The notice requires Crooked House to be restored to its original state within three years. Its owners have 30 days to appeal.

       The building was demolished, with just the foundations and segments of a wall remaining intact, following a fire at the 18th-century pub in Himley, near Dudley in the West Midlands.

       Police previously said the fire was being treated as suspected arson, with five men and one woman arrested in connection with the incident.

       A request for listed status for the Crooked House was submitted a week before it burnt down and Andy Street, the West Midlands mayor, called it to be rebuilt “brick by brick” after the destruction.

       Historic England previously said it was keen to “consider all possible avenues”, with the local council hoping to see the pub reconstructed.

       Marco Longhi, the MP for Dudley North, said: “The demolition of the Crooked House shook our community here in Dudley and across the Black Country, so it’s fantastic news that an enforcement notice has been served on the owners for demolition without consent.

       “The Crooked House owners are now required to rebuild the site back to its former glory and I will not rest until the Crooked House is built back brick by brick.”

       The enforcement notice was served on Adam and Carly Taylor and the company secretary of Warwickshire-based ATE Farms Ltd, which bought the inn from pub operator Marston’s.

       Issued by South Staffordshire District Council, the notice said the demolition of the building constituted a breach of planning controls.

       The notice reads: “The unauthorised demolition of the building resulted in the loss of a community facility of local historic significance and interest.

       “At the time of demolition, Historic England was in receipt of an application to list the Crooked House. However, due to its demolition, Historic England did not have the opportunity to assess it and determine if it was suitable for listing.”

       The order also specifies the pub should be rebuilt “so as to recreate it as similar as possible to the demolished building” before it was razed by a digger on August 5 last year.

       The fire came two weeks after the brewer Marston’s sold the pub to ATE Farms.

       Mr Taylor is a former director and current shareholder of Himley Environmental, a waste management company.

       He also owns another pub called the Sarah Mansfield Country Inn, in Warwickshire. Mr Taylor was issued with a “stop notice” by the council after he started gutting the property which he bought in 2020. The establishment has remained closed since.

       Roger Lees, the council leader, said: “A huge amount of time and resources have been put into investigating the unauthorised demolition of the Crooked House.

       “We have had great support from the local community, our MPs and the Mayor of the West Midlands, and from the campaign group whose aim is to see the Crooked House back to its former glory, which is the key objective of the enforcement notice.

       “We have not taken this action lightly but we believe that it is right to bring the owners, who demolished the building without consent, to account and we are committed to do what we can to get the Crooked House rebuilt.”

       A Staffordshire Police investigation into the circumstances around the blaze continues, and anyone with information is being urged to contact the force.

       Mr Street welcomed the order for the 18th-century pub to be restored in a tweet.

       In a message posted on the Save The Crooked House (Let’s Get It Re-Built) Facebook page, Mr Street thanked the group’s 35,000 members for their “tireless” campaign.

       He wrote: “Hi everyone, today is obviously a monumental day in the campaign to get the Crooked House rebuilt.

       “South Staffordshire District Council deserve enormous credit for holding their nerve and pursuing this enforcement action.

       “However it would never have happened if it wasn’t for the tireless work of each and everyone one of you in this group. What you have done to keep the Crooked House at the forefront of people’s minds has been exceptional, and as Mayor I want to personally thank you all.

       “I said at the time of the tragedy that the owners had messed with the wrong community, and you haven’t half proved that right. Thank you.”

       Sir Gavin Williamson, whose South Staffordshire constituency includes the pub, said: “I strongly welcome South Staffordshire Council’s decision to serve an enforcement notice on the owners of the Crooked House. This is an important step towards restoring an iconic piece of Black Country heritage and holding those responsible for its unlawful destruction to account. I know how much today’s decision means to the local community and I applaud the efforts of those who have fought long and hard to ensure justice is served.”

       The last landlord of the pub has also welcomed the decision for it to be rebuilt.

       Lee Goodchild, 46, ran the establishment from September 2022 until it shut down in June 2023.

       Mr Goodchild said: “I think it’s excellent news. Whether it will ever open as a trading pub remains to be seen, but at least people are going to get to see the Crooked House rise again.”