Wolverhampton windmill destroyed in suspected gas blast

14 October 2018

News image — Police said the "significant structural damage" appeared to have been caused by a boiler explosion

BBC The windmill the day after the alleged explosion — Police said the "significant structural damage" appeared to have been caused by a boiler explosion

A windmill in Wolverhampton has been destroyed in a suspected gas blast.

Fire crews were called to the Grade II-listed building on Windmill Lane in the Castlecroft area of the city at about 19:40 BST on Saturday.

Police said the "significant structural damage" appeared to have been caused by a boiler explosion. No-one is thought to have been injured.

Councillor Wendy Thompson said on Twitter: "This is terrible. A wonderful historic landmark."

"Do hope everyone is safe," the councillor for the Tettenhall and Wightwick ward added.

The windmill after the suspected gas blast — Specialists have assessed the structural damage to the building

'Really sad'

One resident, Victoria Jones, has set up a donation page to raise £500 for the man who calls the windmill home.

In a statement posted on the page, she said: "Last night an awful explosion took place... not only did this destroy a historic building but also a man's home and memories.

"Let's pull together as a community to help raise some money to help him get back on feet."

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Councillor Jane Stevenson said: "I am so sorry to see this. A beautiful landmark in this part of Wolverhampton. Hoping nobody was hurt."

Resident Paul Millington said "Really sad to see this happen to such a beautiful old building and landmark in our area."

West Midlands Police said officers were called by the fire service at about 20:30 and helped with temporary road closures.

A spokeswoman for the force said no injuries had been reported on the police log.

Google The church and windmill prior to the suspected blast — The windmill is near the Church of the Good Shepherd

Gas company Cadent, which supplies gas to the area, said it was called at about 19:45 and disconnected the supply to the property.

Officials said they also checked the supply in street and a service pipe for the area. The street gas main was "found to be sound", a spokeswoman added.

She said it was "not yet known whether the explosion was gas-related" and that the company was supporting the emergency services in their inquiries.

The street on which the windmill is located — Gas company Cadent said the street gas main was "found to be sound"