THE rear wall of a disused pub in Tavistock collapsed last Wednesday (January 22) causing substantial structural damage.

The wall of the former Ordulph Arms on Pym Street collapsed just after 11pm, revealing two layers of the three-storey building, while residents were in a property on the second floor.

Firefighters from Tavistock were first on scene and cordoned off the area and evacuated the resident from the building and those in neighbouring properties. By 2.30am firefighters had isolated the utilities to the property and made it safe and handed the incident over to the police who closed Pym Street until building inspectors had assessed the property on Thursday (January 24).

West Devon Borough Council’s lead member for communities Cllr Terry Pearce said: ‘A Devon building control inspector visited to assess the damage. It appears that a section of the rear wall of the building collapsed due to the large timber beam over the archway failing.

‘We can reassure residents that there is no greater danger of collapse to the front of the building than before and therefore once the entrance through the arch was closed off, the road was reopened. The private pedestrian access to the courtyard has also been fenced off and residents of the flats behind have been informed not to use it.

‘The owners are now organising a structural engineer to assess the damage and scaffolders have been on site to shore up the rear section of the building.’

Architect in charge Mike Hooper, on behalf of the owners, said: ‘A large crack noise was heard by the residents/caretaker of the second floor of the Ordulph.

‘The beam is currently being analysed and a specialist structural engineer attended the site.

‘We are currently completing the support of the exposed rear first floor with a scaffold within the confines of the covered way and will then be extending this out to the rear courtyard, up the rear of the building, over the lower building to the gable side and down onto Pym Street. Only once this has been completed can we then undertake an inspection of the current situation. The building will be wrapped to avoid dust etc and the HSE have been advised.’