THE Cornwall Fire and Rescue Service has today confirmed the cause of the fire which devastated the Cheesewring Hotel at Minions on Christmas Eve.

Fire ripped through the historic Victorian building, dating from 1863 and noted as the highest pub in Cornwall, after flames were first detected at just after 8am on December 24. Fire crews from six towns then fought the blaze, despite the roof and internal walls collapsing and in the face of strong winds, for much of the day.

A fire service spokesman has now confirmed: "The cause is believed to be an internal electrical fault."

You can read about how the fire drama unfolded and was tackled in this week’s Cornish Times, in shops from today (Wednesday).