A man has been charged with arson in connection with a devastating fire at a Michelin-starred restaurant in North Yorkshire.
More than £2million worth of damage was caused to The Star Inn at Harome in November 2021.
The award-winning North Yorkshire restaurant was attended by nine fire engines as the blaze burnt through the roof.
Charles Birkett, 28, is due to appear at Scarborough Magistrates’ Court on August 14.
North Yorkshire Police said: “A 28-year-old man from Helmsley has been charged with committing arson with recklessness as to whether property would be destroyed or life endangered."
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The 14th century pub won almost every industry award, from a Michelin star to Top UK Gastropub.
Chief patron Andrew Pern opened the Star, just outside of Helmsley, in 1996.
It quickly rose to prominence as a must visit destination for food lovers in Yorkshire.
The restaurant was extended over the years to include a banquet seating area and a cocktail bar.
Diners could tuck themselves away in cosy nooks and crannies to enjoy a delicious meal.
The pub bar was the work of legendary local craftsman Robert Thompson - aka the ‘Mouseman of Kilburn’.
The fire left the historic pub as a pile of ashes.
The Northern Echo archives includes a range of pictures from happier times at The Star Inn at Harome, including when the Archbishop of York visited the kitchen and a wedding day photo of Andew Pern in 2016.
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The Star Inn fully reopened on the 12 month anniversary of the fire in 2022.
After a number of meetings with various conservation authorities the pub was put together much the way it was before the fire.
Some of the charred roof timbers have been left in place to acknowledge the latest part of the historic pub's history.
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