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BBC
The fire service was called to the building on Friday evening
A major fire has broken out at a historic mill in Staffordshire.
Staffordshire Fire and Rescue Service said six engines were sent to The Big Mill, a Grade II listed building in Mill Street, Leek, at 21:22 GMT on Friday.
The service asked people not to drive near the former silk mill as it was "making things difficult", and warned residents to keep windows and doors shut.
A spokesperson said on Saturday the flames were largely extinguished but crews were still on the scene dealing with a substantial number of hotspots and were expected to remain for some time.
They added the area was still best avoided, with four appliances working from behind the building on Belle Vue Road.
Fire officials said they had received a total of 118 calls about the incident.
People in the area reported the derelict building appeared "completely burned out" by 23:00.
Six fire engines and an aerial ladder were sent to tackle the flames
The six-storey mill building, which has a bell tower, dates back to 1860 according to its Historic England listing, and is one of the earliest mill buildings of its scale in the town.
It was last used as a mill in the 1980s and was then home to a pine manufacturer and workshop.
It has been derelict since 2007, local councillor Bill Cawley said.
Cawley, Labour representative for Leek West on Staffordshire Moorlands District Council, said he had previously warned about hazards and anti-social behaviour at the building, which had been bought by a developer.
The councillor said two previous fires at the site were mentioned during a meeting he attended with the fire service and environmental health in August, and flammable materials such as wood, carboard and a can of petrol had been removed from the building's basement.
Young people had also been seen on the building's roof in December 2024, he added.
Councillor Bill Cawley said the site had been derelict since 2007
Staffordshire Police said Mill Street and surrounding streets would be closed for some time and advised motorists to use alternative routes.
Staffordshire Moorlands MP Dame Karen Bradley wrote on Facebook: "I was so sad to see the terrible fire at the Big Mill in Leek last night."
She thanked emergency services, adding: "I hope that everyone is safe."
