Wolverhampton windmill destroyed in suspected gas blast
A windmill in Wolverhampton has been destroyed in a suspected gas blast.
Fire crews were called to the Grade II-listed building on Windmill Lane in the Castlecroft area of the city at about 19:40 BST on Saturday. Police said the "significant structural damage" appeared to have been caused by a boiler explosion. No-one is thought to have been injured. Councillor Wendy Thompson said on Twitter: "This is terrible. A wonderful historic landmark." "Do hope everyone is safe," the councillor for the Tettenhall and Wightwick ward added. 'Really sad' One resident, Victoria Jones, has set up a donation page to raise £500 for the man who calls the windmill home. In a statement posted on the page, she said: "Last night an awful explosion took place... not only did this destroy a historic building but also a man's home and memories. "Let's pull together as a community to help raise some money to help him get back on feet." Councillor Jane Stevenson said: "I am so sorry to see this. A beautiful landmark in this part of Wolverhampton. Hoping nobody was hurt." Resident Paul Millington said "Really sad to see this happen to such a beautiful old building and landmark in our area." West Midlands Police said officers were called by the fire service at about 20:30 and helped with temporary road closures. A spokeswoman for the force said no injuries had been reported on the police log. Gas company Cadent, which supplies gas to the area, said it was called at about 19:45 and disconnected the supply to the property. Officials said they also checked the supply in street and a service pipe for the area. The street gas main was "found to be sound", a spokeswoman added. She said it was "not yet known whether the explosion was gas-related" and that the company was supporting the emergency services in their inquiries.