Extractor fan sparked pub blaze, says fire service

Sharon Horn and her partner Dave lost a dog and their home when the pub they ran caught fire

A blaze which badly damaged a pub was caused by a faulty toilet extractor fan, the fire service has confirmed.

It broke out at the Three Horseshoes in Harlow at about 21:30 GMT on Boxing Day, leaving the landlady and her partner homeless. A fundraising campaign has been set up to help them.

No people were injured, but one of the couple's dogs died in the fire.

The pub's owner, Star Pubs and Bars, has said it cannot predict how long repairs will take as the building was damaged by both fire and water.

Part of the pub's roof and upstairs living area were destroyed in the fire

Landlady Sharon Horn said when the fire alarm went off she went into the ladies' toilets to find it full of smoke.

She saw flames behind the extractor fan in the lavatory, adding, "there were flames going upstairs".

The couple went up to their living room, where one of their dogs was.

"I couldn't get in there," said Ms Horn.

"Then Dave went round to the other door, but it was the same there. We couldn't get Frank out, and he perished in the fire."

She said crews took until 04:30 to put the blaze out, such was its intensity. The entire first floor had gone.

"Everything is completely burnt out. There's no roof, no floor, the gable end is still very unsafe, it could come down at any time," she said.

The gutted roof of the pub

The pub had four customers at the time, but they all got out safely.

Essex Fire and Rescue Service, which carried out an investigation, confirmed it was caused by a faulty extractor fan in the ladies' toilet.

Ms Horn said she was now waiting to hear if the local council could re-home them.

Her friend, Elaine Dell, who runs the Clock House Pub in Harlow, said she hoped to raise money for the couple, who had left the pub with no possessions.

"They've lost absolutely everything," said Ms Dell. "They're very much relying on the kindness of strangers.

"They've lost their livelihood, they've lost their home. Going forward we don't know what's going to happen."

The pub remains closed and its owners could not say how long repairs will take