A pub near Preston was left devastated today (April 12) after a fire broke out just before midday.

The Grill and Grain at the Boatyard, on Bolton Road in Riley Green, was engulfed in flames at around 11.45am this morning. The cause of fire is still unknown.

Water was pumped from the adjacent Leeds and Liverpool canal in order to fight the flames.

There were no casualties as a result of the fire and staff and customers were both evacuated safely.

However, the pub has only been reopened since November 2016 after undergoing an extensive £1 million renovation that included a grill specially imported from America and a new microbrewery.

More: Crews tackle huge fire at Ripley Green

A statement from Thwaites, issued during the fire, said: “We are currently working with Lancashire Fire & Rescue Service after a fire started at Grill & Grain at the Boatyard in Riley Green at around 11.45am.

“As you can appreciate, our priority is the safety of our guests and staff, and as soon as the fire was discovered everyone was immediately evacuated from the building.

“The fire service is still at the scene so we can’t comment further at this time.”