Villagers shocked by fire at The Mill in Alveley

The Mill Hotel in Alveley, near Bridgnorth, was gutted in a fire on Sunday night. Although the building had been closed since September, locals said most people in the area had enjoyed some sort of special occasion there over the years.

"Everyone enjoyed the fine dining down there and it's a crying shame what's happened to it," said Alveley resident Colin Taylor. "My son, Andrew, who now lives in Ireland, even worked there when he was home from university. It still seemed to be ticking over nicely even right up to a few weeks before it closed."

Richard Twigg, chairman of Alveley Cricket club, said the club had used The Mill for presentation evenings until about four or five years ago. He added: "Up to 150 club members would attend the social events and it was a place we would use every year.

"The Mill even used to sponsor the club and was one of our main backers. It's quite sad how things have developed there over the years. A lot of villagers were employed there, both adults and youngsters, and it was also well used by community groups and residents as well."

The Mill dates back to the 16th century and was popular with couples tying the knot. But it shut its doors unexpectedly in late September, leaving couples facing a battle over their deposits for weddings.

West Mercia Police said today investigations were still being carried out into how the fire started.