I understand from social media that a Channel 4 News interview this evening with a local journalist was querying the date upon which the bulldozer used to demolish the Crooked House was hired; specifically, whether this was before or after the arson attack on Saturday 5th August. I think it would be helpful to repeat the information from the update on Friday 11th August that, on Wednesday 9th August, "Construction News" reported that the Hyundai excavator responsible for the demolition of the Crooked House was rented by the site's owners several days BEFORE the fire.
The plant hire firm’s owner, Lyndon Thomas, said that they had delivered the excavator (without driver) a week and a half prior to Wednesday 9th August but was adamant that he had done nothing wrong. He was quoted as saying: "If you give me your insurance and all your details and I deliver [equipment] to you and then you just tried to knock down your neighbour's building, what can I do? I have done nothing wrong. We just hire a digger to a customer. I can’t be responsible for what they do with the machinery."
In addition, the public meeting held in Himley this evening was attended by around 100 people and discussed the possibility of a law to protect other heritage venues from the same fate as the Crooked House. Meeting attendees also voiced concerns about a smell from the stream that runs alongside the pub, and rubbish being dumped at the site.
There have been no further updates regarding the police and/or fire service investigations into the arson and subsequent demolition.