Engineers to stabilise fire-hit buildings

Engineers will be brought in to stabilise two buildings which have been closed since they were damaged by a fire in April.

The damage to the properties has caused Newcastle Street in Middleport, Stoke-on-Trent, to be closed for safety reasons and the city council said it was keen to get it open again.

It said it decided to take action because the owners of the buildings had failed to carry out the work themselves.

The authority said it wanted to see if it was possible to make them safe and avoid the need for demolition.

Scaffolding would go up in the next week, it said, to allow the buildings to be safely inspected.

The council said it was disappointed the owners of the two buildings had not "taken responsibility" for the buildings and that it had caused a delay in getting the road reopened.

It said it had served both with notices to get the work done, before deciding to step in itself.

It said once the work was completed, it would be "seeking recompense from the owners."