A city road remains closed – two months after an arson attack at a derelict pottery factory.

Part of Westport Road in Burslem was closed to traffic for safety reasons following the fire at the former Wade Ceramics site on April 27.

Miller Homes, which owns the Grade II listed building, says it is still working to find a way of making it safe so the road can be reopened.

Local politicians have been calling for the repairs to be carried out as soon as possible, due to the disruption the road closure is causing.

The Wade Heath works date back to 1814, but the site has been vacant since Wade Ceramics moved to new headquarters in Festival Park in 2010. In recent years the building has attracted rough sleepers, and the long-term future of the site remains unclear.

A spokesperson for Miller Homes: "The safety of our employees, customers and the wider community is always our main concern and our priority following the fire on Westport Road has been to ensure that the site is safe and secure.

"We are fully co-operating with the relevant authorities to determine the most appropriate permanent solution for making the site safe so that the road can be reopened as soon as it is safe to do so."

Westport Road is closed to traffic between the junctions with Hall Street and Greenhead Street.

Stoke-on-Trent North MP David Williams is among those calling for the Wade building to be made safe as quickly as possible. He has started a petition on his website to put pressure onto Miller Homes to carry out the necessary repairs.

The petition states: "The longer the road remains closed, the greater the impact on daily life, emergency access, and the wider community. We therefore urge Miller Homes to work with Stoke-on-Trent City Council to agree and publish a date by which the building will be made safe, so that Westport Road can be reopened without further delay. The safety of the public and the functioning of the local area must be prioritised."

The city council has been approached for comment.

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