Watch: Firefighters tackle major blaze at popular Shrewsbury pub which closed this summer
Shropshire fire crews have been tackling a major blaze at a Shrewsbury pub which closed down just a few months ago.
The Shropshire Fire and Rescue Service sent six crews to the scene, at the former Oxon Priory public house, where flames could be seen shooting through the roof of the Welshpool Road property.
Police said the fire on Monday night (October 6) is being treated as "potentially arson", and two teenage boys had been arrested in connection with the incident.
Crews were alerted shortly before 9pm on Monday with six fire engines dispatched to the scene.
Police closed roads to traffic due to the blaze, while members of the public gathered to see the fire service attempting to get the incident under control.
An update from the fire service said that there had been a fire in the roof space of the pub, which had spread to other parts of the building.
The West Midlands Ambulance Service was called as was the Highways Agency, with the pub sitting on a junction of one of Shrewsbury's busiest routes.
Firefighters could be seen shooting jets of water into the property, with the aerial ladder platform, incident command unit, and a welfare unit in attendance.
The fire service said crews had worn breathing equipment while using hosereel jets and main jets to tackle the incident.
A spokersperson for the fire service said that a "relief crew" remained at the scene this morning to dampen down remaining hotspots.
The West Midlands Service confirmed that nobody was hurt in the fire.
A spokesperson said: "We were called by the fire service to reports of a property fire on Welshpool Road, Shelton, Shrewsbury. A paramedic officer responded to the scene. Thankfully, there were no patients."
The pub closed this summer with locals saying it had shut in July.
The Greene King pub had previously been a popular venue with real ale drinkers.
Speaking in August, the brewery said it was a difficult decision to close the pub and thanked customers for their support.
A spokesperson for the venue said: "We can confirm that the Oxon Priory in Shrewsbury has now closed. Making the decision to close a pub is never an easy one, and multiple factors are always considered.
"We have worked with our team to find alternative roles at our other pubs in the local area where possible and we would like to thank our loyal customers and communities for visiting us over the years. We look forward to welcoming them into our other pubs in Shropshire soon."
