You don’t want to miss this!
Landlord’s web post... then pub goes up in flames
A PUBLICAN is critically ill after being rescued from the roof of his burning pub following a Facebook post in which he said: ‘You don’t want to miss this.’
The fire came after Tim Sharp split from landlady Lindsay Williamson, 57, who ran the popular Yorkshire Dales pub with him.
Firefighters rescued Mr Sharp from the roof of the Old Swan Inn at Gargrave, North Yorkshire, on Tuesday as flames spread and smoke billowed from the Grade II listed building.
At noon he had posted a message on the pub’s Facebook page, as well as own, saying: ‘So to all the gossipers and gob****** in this village, and there is plenty of them. The truth will be told later today. And I have all the proof of that.
‘So stay tuned in as will be going live on Facebook tonight. Believe me you don’t want to miss this. Tim x.’
At 5.25pm police went to investigate after ‘concerns for his safety’ and saw a fire inside the pub, which had been due to reopen today after being closed for the lockdown.
Firefighters rushed to the scene but by 6pm the pub was well alight and Mr Sharp was seen on the roof. There were reports that he appeared to be covered in blood and unconscious.
Locals believed the incident may have been connected to personal problems and recent comments about depression on Mr Sharp’s Facebook page had fuelled concerns for him.
Days ago he admitted to a friend that he was ‘going through tough times at the minute’ after splitting from Miss Williamson. ‘Tim was not happy that he and Lindsay were not together but they were still trying to get the pub ready for reopening,’ said the friend. ‘You do get gossip and speculation in a village like this but it was nothing nasty and everyone supported Tim and Lindsay, who really had brought the pub back to life. ‘A lot of people saw Tim’s post and were concerned but nobody knew what to expect.’ Russ Hamilton, 55, a pub regular, said: ‘Lindsay and Tim took over the pub about two-and-ahalf years ago and were making a real go of it.’
Mr Sharp, a divorcee, is a local man who had returned to the village a few years ago after running a motorbike business in the Isle of Man, where he lived with his then wife.
A North Yorkshire Police spokesman said a full investigation had been launched.
He added: ‘Just before 6pm police officers noticed a fire inside the pub and a man was seen on the roof of the building.
‘Fire crews attended to deal with the blaze and the police tried to engage with the man in an effort to bring him to safety.
‘A few nearby properties were temporarily evacuated as a precaution.’
The spokesman said firefighters found the man, aged in his 50s, on the pub roof and brought him down at 6.38pm, adding: ‘He was taken to hospital in a critical condition.’
After the fire Miss Williamson wrote on Facebook: ‘I would be very grateful if people would stop commenting and appreciate that this is a very difficult time for all those involved.’