A FIRE which destroyed a recently refurbished eatery is being treated as accidental.

The canalside Grill and Grain pub in Riley Green was devastated by a fire which broke out at around 11.50am on Wednesday.

All staff and customers were evacuated before around 60 firefighters tackled the blaze after which the roof was almost totally collapsed.

The fire service said early indications showed there were no suspicious circumstances and the cause was being treated as accidental.

Owners Daniel Thwaites, which invested around £1million to create a new restaurant and microbrewery at the premises, formerly known as the boatyard, said it was ‘devastated’.

Chief executive officer Rick Bailey said: “The fire service was at the scene all yesterday afternoon and worked tirelessly, however the building has been significantly damaged.

“The most important thing is that nobody was injured however we are totally devastated by the damage caused.

“We spent many months developing Grill & Grain and were all so proud when it opened in November.

"In just a few months it has already become really popular.

“We’ve had many comments from customers who have seen the news about the fire and I’d like to thank them for their kind thoughts.

“We will be doing all we can to support the team at Grill & Grain through this next period and apologise to anyone who had made a booking, as clearly we will need to close for the foreseeable future.”

The fire service has launched an investigation into the cause.

A spokesman said: “It’s too early to speculate on the precise cause but we’re satisfied it was accidental.

“Teams remained at the scene until around 7pm using thermal imaging to ensure that the fire did not reignite.

“Officers are using forensic technology to investigate and will be speaking to eyewitnesses among the staff and customers to get a clearer picture.

“We pass on our thoughts to the staff and the pub who have been so badly affected by this.

During the operation Environment Agency staff set up temporary dams on the pub’s car park to prevent polluted water from the building finding its way back into the Leeds and Liverpool Canal.

When the pub was refurbished a large wood-fired grill was installed in an open kitchen in full view of the restaurant.