An appeal by the owners of against an order to rebuild Britain's former "wonkiest" has been slammed as "insulting".

ATE Farms Ltd bought the alehouse nine days before and has now launched a battle against the order to have it restored to its former wonky glory.

Furious campaigners say if the decision is reversed, the appeal would make "a complete mockery of pub protection" in the UK. Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) wants "tighter, stronger planning policies and a requirement in law to rebuild pubs brick-by-brick".

The Crooked House, which was in Himley, near Dudley in the West Midlands, was torched and then "unlawfully" demolished in August 2023. The famed 18th century alehouse was a well-known tourist attraction due to the mining subsidence which had caused one side of the building to be approximately 4ft (1.2 m) lower than the other.

The building had been sold by brewer Marston's to ATE, which at the time was controlled by former nail technician Carly Taylor, less than a fortnight earlier. The pub had been listed for sale for £675,000.

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ATE is now run by Carly's husband Adam, 45, who is shareholder and former director of Himley Environmental Ltd which runs a land fill site next to where the pub sat. A hearing for his company's appeal has been scheduled at South Staffordshire Council's offices in Codsall on March 11.

The local authority, a Tory stronghold, , ordering owners ATE Farms to rebuild the iconic venue following its "unlawful demolition". The found advanced - as was the case to resurrect the Elephant and Castle pub, a popular alehouse in nearby Wolverhampton in just 18 months.

But ATE's appeal this week has sparked anger. Gary Timmins, pubs and clubs director for CAMRA, said: "The appeal requested by the owners of the Crooked House, ATE Farms Limited, was expected but no less insulting."

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He added: "Accountability must be taken for the complete destruction of this iconic pub, and this hearing undermines South Staffordshire Council's enforcement notice to rebuild it. The Crooked House in Himley was destroyed more than 18 months ago, and this appeal delays a much-needed outcome.

"The UK's wonkiest pub needs to be rebuilt, back to what it was prior to the fire, as ordered by South Staffordshire Council. If this appeal leads to this decision being reversed, it would be a complete mockery of pub protection and campaigning efforts from the local community.

"The Crooked House saga lifted the lid on the wider scandal of potentially unlawful pub conversions and demolitions across the UK, and we continue to demand tighter, stronger planning policies and a requirement in law to rebuild pubs brick-by-brick."

The enforcement notice specifies the materials which must be used to rebuild the property, famed for its sloping walls and floor which were caused by mining subsidence in the area. The council set a three-year compliance deadline for the building to be rebuilt.

has so far made six arrests in connection with the blaze, which it is treating as arson. The five men aged 23, 33, 44, 51 and 66, and a 34-year-old woman were arrested between August and October and remain on conditional bail. The police investigation is ongoing, a spokesman for the force confirmed to today.