Leek Mourns the Loss of Historic Mill Building

10 hours ago
3 min read

A man has been arrested in connection with the fire and police are appealing for further information.

Leek Mourns the Loss of Historic Mill Building

Stop Press: Staffordshire Moorlands police have said: "We have arrested a man in connection with the fire in Leek.We were called at 9.35pm on last night (Friday 27 March) to reports that The Big Mill on Mill Street, Leek, was on fire.

Officers put various road closures in place within the cordon and supported residents who had been evacuated from their homes as a precaution.

An 18-year-old man, from Leek, has been arrested on suspicion of arson with recklessness as to whether life was endangered. He remains in custody.

Anyone with relevant information, CCTV, dashcam or doorbell footage should call us on 101 quoting incident number 733 of 27 March.

To report anonymously, call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

Last night, Friday, 27th March 2026, the Big Mill on Mill Street in Leek burned.

Statement from Fire & Rescue

The alarm was raised at 9.22pm last night (Friday 28 March) when smoke and flames were seen coming out of the building on Mill Street. At its height, up to six crews worked to contain the blaze alongside colleagues from Staffordshire Police. The fire is under control but has yet to be extinguished as crews are unable to enter the building at this time. We have four crews there at the moment. No-one has been reported injured.

The large cordon is still in place, and we’re expected to be in the area for some time whilst we work to bring the incident to a safe and swift conclusion.

People nearby are advised to keep their windows and doors closed as a precaution due to the excess smoke still coming from the building.

The cause of the fire will be determined following a fire investigation.

Station Manager Jonathan Ashby said: “The fire is under control but has yet to be extinguished as crews are unable to enter the building at this time."

“The large cordon is still in place and we’re expected to be in the area for some time whilst we work to bring the incident to a safe and swift conclusion.”

How the building looked Sat 28th March am:

The old mill building, of historic and local significance, burned down after having stood empty and neglected for decades. Local people are deeply saddened by the loss, and it has left many of us wondering why this lovely old building was allowed to languish for so long, especially when housing and other development are much needed across Staffordshire Moorlands.

A planning application was submitted in 2019 and went a long way through process we've asked the planning office to comment on why this halted. http://publicaccess.staffsmoorlands.gov.uk/portal/servlets/ApplicationSearchServlet?PKID=130762

Cheadle View

Our sympathies go out to our neighbours in Leek on the loss of this important building. It's a cautionary tale for our own empty buildings too, with anti-social behaviour high and youth engagement poor.

We asked County Councillor and former firefighter Gary Bentley for his view on the fire.

"It was a great shame to see the Big Mill in Leek burned down. Putting my old firefighter's helmet on, it would be a very scary job. They are professionals, but you still have chances of injury on big jobs like that."

"My concern locally would be for the Royal Oak. It's been on fire once, and there's activity with children getting into it regularly. They board it up, and the children get in again. I think we should be keeping a special eye on the Royal Oak on Cheadle High Street, with what's happened in Leek."