Thieves raid Tayleur Arms after £1.2m blaze
[gallery] Thieves raided Tayleur Arms in Longdon Upon Tern just hours after it was gutted by a huge fire.
They risked their own safety by entering the pub near Telford and taking tools from the building after hearing that it had been hit by a devastating fire in the early hours of last Wednesday.
Landlord Eve and Richard Harvey managed to escape uninjured.
Speaking on the Tayleur Arms Facebook page, Richard said: "Someone got into the store room, the only room untouched by the fire, and stole the tools.
"They also tried getting into the cellar but all the drinks had already been removed.
"We have also caught people snooping around late at night. Kick us when we're down."
It is thought that the thieves struck in the early hours of Thursday morning. The tools were used by the pub's handyman, who was responsible for maintaining the grounds.
The pub has now been secured and Mr and Mrs Harvey are now living on site in a motorhome.
Meanwhile, a campaign has been launched to rebuild the pub.
The Harveys say they plan to reopen the pub.
They escaped the fire in their night clothes, along with their 14-year-old son Elliot and some guests who were staying the night.
The cost of rebuilding has been estimated at about £1.2 million and could take more than a year, but the property is covered by insurance.
Mr Harvey adds on his Facebook page: "I've started this page in the hope that we don't lose the Tayleur. "Not just for us but for the village of Longdon on Tern."
