COMMUNITY leader Annie Makepeace is calling for action to secure the site of a derelict former pub.

The call from Clr Makepeace follows a fire last night at an empty building alongside the Black Greyhound, which is being treated as possible arson.

The Wincham pub has been empty for a number of years, and the fire broke out at the former Bengal Dynasty Indian restaurant.

Three fire engines attended, and firefighters wearing breathing apparatus tackled a blaze in the roof space of the single storey building.

They checked the former pub to ensure the fire had not spread, and the public are being asked if they have any information on the fire, being treated as “suspected deliberate ignition.”

The boarded-up pub is at the junction of Church Street and Hall Lane, and its dilapidated condition prompted a 475-name petition to put pressure on the building’s owners to do something about it.

The petition was presented to Wincham Parish Council, which forwarded it to the owners with a letter expressing its concern over the deteriorating condition of the building.

Clr Makepeace is chairman of the parish council, and sent a text to the agent for the owners about the fire.

“He has agreed to give it his urgent attention and to communicate with the owners as a matter of priority, and promised to keep me informed,” said Clr Makepeace.

“The priority is for the owners to make the site safe and secure and to clean it up, and the fire proves that our fears about the site attracting undesirable attention to our village were well founded.

“I felt it was essential that the owners were made aware of the fire, and people in the village are disgusted that this has happened.

"The appearance of the site makes it looks as though no-one in the village gives a damn.

“This was our only pub, and not having it is bad enough, but seeing it becoming an eyesore is an insult to the community.”

Firefighters were called out just before 9pm, and cut away the ceiling of the building to make sure the fire was fully extinguished.

A Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service spokesman said police were asked to attend the scene due to “suspected deliberate ignition”.

The fire is being investigated, and anyone who has any information about the blaze is asked to call police on 101 or ring Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.