Devastating fire that destroyed The Chequers in Pampisford prompts fund-raising appeal for landlord and his family

A fund-raiser has been launched to support the landlord of a pub that was destroyed by fire.

More than £2,200 has been raised already by dozens of well-wishers for Mark Chater and his family after the ‘horrendous fire’ at The Chequers, in Pampisford, some 13 miles from Haverhill.

Firefighters from Cambridgeshire and Essex were called to the blaze at the 17th century pub on Town Lane at 11.15pm on Wednesday, December 8.

Around 50 firefighters from Cambridge, Linton, St Ives, Huntingdon, Gamlingay, St Neots and Sawston attended the incident along with crews from Essex.

The crews worked throughout the night and into the morning to prevent the fire from spreading to neighbouring thatched properties.

A statement posted on the pub’s Facebook page said: “We as a team have been very touched by all the messages and support from the local community.

“It’s early days but the brewery are already in discussions with their building teams about rebuilding and we as a team are trying to think of a way to bring you a pop up pub for Christmas as we know how much the community values The Chequers.”

An investigation concluded the blaze started accidentally.

A fire service spokesman said: “The building was significantly damaged by the fire, with the structural integrity being compromised.

"This has made it challenging to safely enter the building to pinpoint what exactly caused the fire to start.

“However, there is nothing to suggest the fire was started deliberately and nothing suspicious surrounding the circumstances.”

Admiral Taverns, which own The Chequers, said: “Thankfully, no one who was on-site at the time was injured and we are doing our utmost to support the landlord during this time.”

Organisers of the fund-raiser hope to raise £3,000. To give to the fund-raiser go HERE