Dalton Mills fire: another huge blaze at Peaky Blinders textile mill in Keighley

More than a dozen fire engines were scrambled to the site in Dalston Lane on Saturday evening, along with two aerial ladder platforms.

This morning there were still six fire engines on the scene, with West Yorkshire Police also in attendance. The fire service said no casualties have been reported, however there was significant fire and smoke.

It appears to have spread to other buildings including the Keighley Bus Museum.

Photographs show flames ripping through the ceiling of the historic mill, and putrid black smoke billowing through the area.

There have been a number of blazes at the site in recent years. In June 2024, crews attended after two of the floors of the building caught alight.

There was a further fire at the derelict Grade II-listed mill in September 2023, despite Bradford Council claiming the site was secure.

In 2022, a blaze left the building an empty shell. Last year, two teenagers were charged with arson over this incident.

Keighley and Ilkley MP Robbie Moore said the latest fire was “absolutely infuriating”. “I understand the fire has also spread to neighbouring properties including Keighley Bus Museum,” he explained.

“Fire and rescue services from across the region remain on site working incredibly hard to get the fire under control alongside police and ambulance service personnel who are also in attendance.

“At this stage, I can’t thank our emergency services enough for all their efforts and bravery as they continue to fight to put out this major fire and to ensure all are safe.

“It is unknown at this stage what has caused the fire or if anyone has been injured, but should any investigations conclude that arsonists are yet again involved, they should expect the full force of the law to hit them hard.

“I have been raising the case for months now with the Crown Estate and other organisations who have legal oversight that the site is not secure, easily accessible and that it is only a matter of time before the next major incident takes place. This current situation simply cannot continue.

“Dalton Mills is a jewel within Keighley which needs protection and restoration.”

The mill was built in the 1860s and the complex had been partially restored before the alleged 2022 arson, with the clock tower renovated as office and studio space.

Northamptonshire businessman Paul Harris bought Dalton Mills, which had been disused since the 1980s, in 2013, and announced plans to turn it into an arts, cultural and Asian wedding venue. However, the main building was never restored. Instead the mill floor was hired out for TV filming and has appeared in Peaky Blinders and Downton Abbey.

According to Companies House, Mr Harris's firm Bellissimo Workspaces Ltd had not filed accounts since 2018 and in 2020 was served with a compulsory wind-up order - which would have meant forfeiting assets. In November 2022, it says the company was dissolved.

In the immediate aftermath of the 2022 fire, the council struggled to contact the owner and a year later, Historic England told the Local Democracy Reporting Service’s Bradford reporter, Chris Young, that no plans to secure the mill’s future had been submitted.

Despite the roof collapsing, building inspectors ruled that the mill did not need to be demolished, but that it was the responsibility of the owner to engage contractors to begin repairs and restoration.