URGENT action is being demanded to step up security at a landmark site targeted by arsonists.

Grade II* listed Dalton Mills was the scene of a major blaze in 2022 – two teenagers have been convicted of arson following that incident and will be sentenced in October.

And the 19th-century building – in Dalton Lane, Keighley – has been affected by several smaller fires in recent months, believed to have been started deliberately.

Last Tuesday night (August 20), crews from six fire stations – plus an aerial ladder – were called out to tackle a blaze.

They used large water jets to extinguish the fire, which engulfed around a fifth of the building’s ground floor.

A fence and signs warning against trespassing are in place at the site, but senior community figures say more needs to be done to protect the mill – which is currently owned by the Crown Estate.

A sign warning that trespassers will be prosecuted A sign warning that trespassers will be prosecuted

Keighley MP, Robbie Moore, says: “To suffer yet another fire at one of our most recognisable local landmarks, especially just a few weeks after the arsonists responsible for the major fire in 2022 were convicted, is frustrating beyond belief.

“Heritage assets like Dalton Mills should be cherished for the next generation, and yet in this case we are seeing very little action to protect and develop the site.

“I am aware that the risk of fire is just one aspect of concern, with the site being regularly broken into for anti-social purposes. It’s vital that a solution to secure this town asset is arrived at as quickly as possible.”

And town mayor, Councillor Gulfraz Hussain, says: “The ongoing wilful damage being caused at Dalton Mills is simply unacceptable.

“It has become clear that the Crown Estate will not step in and take any action.

“I believe Bradford Council should give serious consideration to undertaking the necessary works to secure the site and prevent any further fires or wilful damage being caused.”

A Bradford Council spokesperson said: “The Dalton Mills building is currently owned by the Crown Estate; prior to that it was in private ownership, and the external security of the site is the responsibility of the owner.

“Dalton Mills is a key heritage building and we remain supportive of efforts to preserve and restore it. We will continue to liaise with the mill owners regarding its long-term future.”

The Crown Estate says Dalton Mills is subject to a legal process known as escheat and it can’t take any action that might be construed as “an act of management, possession or ownership” in relation to the property.