Lorry crash pub landlord left in financial limbo

The landlord of a pub that was partially destroyed when it was hit by a lorry has praised the outpouring of support as he continues to wait for news that it is safe.

The lorry driver was cut free by firefighters and taken to hospital after the crash on the A49 in Bayston Hill at about 05:30 GMT on 11 November.

Traffic lights will remain in place on the busy route until structural investigations confirm the Three Fishes pub and a nearby house will not collapse.

Pub landlord James Duerden said it had caused him "financial devastation" but it was a "miracle no one was hurt in a major way".

He said he had since spoken to the lorry driver and hoped he was not going to have any long-lasting injuries.

The pub remains unsafe and Mr Duerden said access problems meant it was an "absolute nightmare" for insurance purposes.

"There's a lot of my money tied up in the building in stock and things, so it's going to be a long process to get that sorted," he said.

The property had been sold and was due to be handed over to new owners.

Mr Duerden said: "It's devastating, it hurts to look at it every time I come past. It hurts, it's a pub that I frequented for a lot of years of my life.

"The atmosphere was amazing on a Friday and Saturday night with all the locals coming in for a drink.

"At the moment there's a lot of memories lying in that rubble which is quite hard to take."

However, he said messages of support on social media had been overwhelming.

The incident has caused long queues on the A49 south of Shrewsbury, with temporary traffic lights in place.

A National Highways spokesperson said they would remain until structural investigations confirmed there was no risk of collapse.

One business owner on the road said it was a "tricky situation" for everyone involved.

"It's going to be quite hard for my customers to get to myself all throughout the day really," he added.

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