Fire breaks out at derelict mill destroyed in arson

Dalton Mills have been targeted by arson attacks in the past

Another fire has broken out at a Victorian mill complex that was destroyed in an arson attack in 2022.

West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service said 20% of the ground floor of Dalton Mills in Keighley was alight during the incident on Tuesday night.

There have been complaints about security at the site since the major fire two years ago, and several smaller fires have been reported since.

The complex has been taken over by the Crown Estate and new owners are being sought to restore and develop it.

Six fire crews were sent to the scene at 22:06 BST and an aerial ladder was deployed.

An investigation has now been launched into the cause of the fire.

Recently, the Keighley Civic Society called for more security measures to be installed at the "death trap" mill to prevent further trespass and arson incidents.

The town's Civic Society has recently called for more security measures at the site

Two teenagers were convicted of the 2022 arson at the mill, which is Grade II-listed, on 1 August and will be sentenced at Bradford Magistrates' Court in October. The court heard they set two polystyrene gargoyles alight after breaking into the mill with other youths, and were inside the building for just eight minutes.

At the time the site was owned by businessman Paul Harris, who later went bankrupt without completing a planned restoration.

A local developer and the chair of the Keighley Town Board have expressed interest in acquiring the property.

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