Detectives are treating a blaze that ripped through a popular pub as arson.

The fire comes just weeks after a gunman walked in and fired a shotgun into the ceiling.

Police are now urging anyone with information to contact Bradford North CID at Keighley.

Flames tore through the ground floor of The Peel Pub in Undercliffe in the early hours of yesterday, destroying one half of the pub at the rear of the building and heavily smoke damaging the other, shattering windows onto Otley Road.

At its peak, four crews from stations across the district tackled the fire which has shocked the community so soon after the shooting drama in June.

It was just before 10pm on Sunday, June 23, when what was believed to be a double-barrelled shotgun was aimed into the ceiling before the gunman fled in a waiting silver estate car with blacked out windows. No one was injured.

Firefighters got to the scene of the blaze yesterday at just before 4am.

A single fire crew from Idle were still there damping down and removing roof timbers and slates to check for any leftover hotspots.

Idle Station watch commander, Dave Burland, said: “It’s the ground floor that is worse affected. The basement and the upstairs aren't bad.

“Our fire investigators have been in and are working with scenes of crime officers and detectives but we know so far the seat of the fire seems to have been on the left-hand side of the pub on the ground floor.”

One man who drinks at the pub but did not want to be named said: “People will be feeling pretty fed up about this. It’s a nice pub, it’s just been all done out with a new carpet and bar. The landlady's a good lass.”

Charles Hurley, 75. another local, said: “It’s twisted if someone has started this fire on purpose, that’s what gives Bradford a bad name."

A police spokesman said; “The fire is being investigated as arson but there’s nothing to suggest any link at this time with the shooting incident.”

Undercliffe councillor Howard Middleton said he would be bringing up the blaze at the ward councillors' next montly meeting with police.

“It's the second incident in less that a month and that's worrying," he said.