THE businessman owner of an arson-hit pub has revealed he wants to demolish it.

Saleem Siddique had bought the Bradford Arms pub in Bowling Back Lane, West Bowling, Bradford, only days before it was set on fire in the early hours of January 8, forcing the landlord and his family to flee for their lives.

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No-one has yet been charged over the attack and West Yorkshire Police said its investigation had been “filed” pending new information coming to light.

Kerr Kennedy, chairman of Bradford CAMRA, lamented the loss of another of the city’s pubs.

“We’re sorry to see any pub disappear but particularly so when it’s an old, established pub and because of a fire,” he said.

Mr Siddique, who runs his Diamond Seal fastfood packaging firm behind the pub, has now brought in a digger to clear the piles of rubbish that has been fly-tipped since the pub was forced to close.

He had been served with an enforcement notice by Bradford Council to clear and secure the site after residents’ complaints.

Mr Siddique told the Telegraph & Argus he did what the Council asked and was also putting up fencing.

However, some asbestos was found at the back of the building and arrangements were being made to get it removed safely, he said.

“I will be putting in an application to demolish the pub. It’s had its day,” he said.

“People have been tipping waste, mattresses to fridge freezers. It has been a mess but we’ve acted on the Council’s request to get it tidied and we’ll fence it off. it looks better for the community now.

“I don’t think people will mind the pub being demolished. The walls have gone, it’s in a bad way. The plan is to make it part of my yard.”

The Council had put up covert surveillance cameras to catch fly-tippers in action. A spokesman said: “Fly-tipping is illegal as well as anti-social. That’s why we do our best to find evidence to prosecute the criminals who do it.

“Our Environmental Enforcement Team use all possible means of gathering evidence including searching the waste and speaking to any eye witnesses to enable prosecution of perpetrators.

“If rubbish is tipped on Council land we clean it up as soon as possible and we try to ensure private landowners do the same.

Anyone with any information about fly-tippers can call the Council’s Environmental Enforcement team on 01274 434366, or email eh.admin@bradford.gov.uk. “

Anyone with information about the arson attack at the pub should contact Bradford District CID on 101, quoting crime reference 13170010769 or report it anonymously to the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.