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As ferocious flames ripped through the 18th Century "wonkiest pub", a slice of history and the apple of the Black Country鈥檚 eye was razed.

But grief of the legion of The Crooked House lovers would quickly turn to anger when less than 48 hours after the blaze, on 5 August 2023, the hostelry was demolished overnight.

As the dawn broke, revealing a pile of bricks, the local outcry led to rage as far away as Australia and the US, as supporters called for the iconic watering hole to be rebuilt, exactly as it had been.

One year on, campaigners speak of how their anger galvanised a movement to protect the UK's heritage buildings - while the pub is no more, it has become a symbol of resistance.

Credit: Getty Images.