Police are treating a fire at a trouble-hit pub as suspected arson after a blaze ripped through its cellar and destroyed its bar upstairs.

Firefighters from Bradford and Odsal stations were called to the New Marshfield Pub, in Marsh Street, Bankfoot, at 9.45pm yesterday.

Odsal Station Officer Frank Hutchinson said fire crews had to use breathing gear to locate the source of the blaze because the building was completely smoke-filled.

He said: "The building was heavily smoke-logged and with the source of the fire being in the cellar we had great difficulty locating the fire.

"The cellar's completely burned out and the fire spread upstairs and spread through the floor to the bar which is badly damaged."

He said there have been several attempts to burn the pub down and on Monday a crew from Odsal was called to a small fire outside the cellar doors. It was put out before too much damaged was caused.

He added: "We believe the two fires may be connection and both the police and our own fire investigation unit are investigating them."

Mechanic Shaban Akhtar, 21, of Marshfield Place, said: "It looked like the whole place was on fire. I think it's just kids who do it. There was fire on Monday as well but it wasn't so serious. As long as it's a pub there will always be problems there."

The pub's latest owner, Edward Hibbard, has been trying to sell it after it was given a complete refurbishment and refit.

In April Yasser Khan, 17, of Ryan Street, West Bowling, was sentenced to three-and-a-half years in a young offenders' institute for being involved in a protection racket which demanded money from the pub's former owner.

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.