The case against a 28-year-old man accused of setting fire to Grade II-listed pub The Star Inn at Harome has been dropped after his legal team uncovered evidence the blaze started accidentally. Charles Frederick Birkett was charged with arson after the thatched roof of the Michelin-starred Yorkshire pub was destroyed in a fire in November 2021. The business had to close for a year but nobody was injured.

Recording a formal not guilty verdict, Judge Sean Morris commended the defence for their preparation of a ‘detailed report’ and said: “It was an accidental fire caused by the dropping of cigarettes into the candle bucket. There was a burn mark on the bench indicating that they holder had got too hot. You are not to blame for this. You leave court without a stain on your character.”