Fire at ballroom and nightclub treated as arson
Andrew BeckettA fire which ripped through a former West Yorkshire ballroom turned nightclub is being investigated as an arson attack.
The blaze broke out at the Venue 73 nightclub, previously known as the Ritz Ballroom, in Brighouse, at about 17:00 GMT on Saturday.
Eight fire crews and two aerial ladders were needed to extinguish the blaze, which West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service said was suspected to have been started deliberately.
West Yorkshire Police confirmed the incident was being treated as arson and no arrests had yet been made.
Originally opened in 1937, the building had been used as a cinema, bingo hall and was home to The Ritz Ballroom from 1981 to 2017.
It later became a live music space before closing in 2020.
A cannabis farm was discovered there in January 2024.
In August, a planning application was submitted to Calderdale Council to demolish the building and replace it with a Starbucks drive-thru.
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