Cordon still in place at Hanley fire

The large cordon at the scene of a fire in Hanley, Stoke-on-Trent, is still in place today (Thursday 14 March) as we continue to search the area and appeal for information.

Officers have been working alongside colleagues from Staffordshire Fire and Rescue Service since the first call came in at 5.45am on Tuesday (12 March).

Once we’re able to safely go inside the building, we will be completing a thorough search alongside fire investigators to determine the cause of the blaze.

We’re aware of reports suggesting there might be a body inside the building. At this time, we can sadly confirm that we believe there is a body inside, but we’re unable to carry out a search until the area is deemed safe.

We will share updates as soon as we’re able to.

A 63-year-old man, of no fixed address, who was arrested on suspicion of attempted arson with intent to endanger life, remain in custody today.

The 33-year-old woman, from Stoke-on-Trent, who was arrested on suspicion of the same offence, has been released on conditional police bail while enquiries continue.

We know the cordon is causing disruption to local people and businesses and we’d like to thank people for their patience and understanding at this time. We will start to scale it down as soon as it’s safe to do so. 

We’re keen to speak to people who might have information that can help with our investigation. Call us on 101, quoting incident 118 of 12 March, or message us using Live Chat.

To report anonymously, call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.