'The Ritz is gone'

IN its heyday it was the go-to place for music and dancing, the lynchpin of social excitement and the ballroom where memories were made.

- By ELIZABETH MACKLEY & SAMUEL PORT

Now, The Ritz smoulders in cinders after fire raged through the iconic Brighouse ballroom on Saturday night.

As night fell the sky was lit up with flames as they tore through the building, prompting West Yorkshire Police to close roads in both directions around the junction of Bradford Road and Bonegate Road.

West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue valiantly fought the flames as smoke spiralled into the Calderdale skyline. While the cause of the fire has not yet been confirmed, dramatic pictures show how it gutted the building, horrifying residents.

Among those shocked to see the beloved landmark go up in smoke was Tiago, who said: “It’s sad that a historic building has burnt down. It’s always better to preserve historic buildings and repurpose them for the population to use - but most of the times they just get abandoned. Someone sent me a photo of it being on fire.”

Meanwhile Holly said: “I think it’s disgusting. It was the best ballroom and dancing place. My nana and grandad used to go there. It’s absolutely disgusting.”

Sion said: “It's a shame because it's been there for years and there's a lot of history in the building. So it's a shame, everybody knows it and all the bands that have played there over the years and stuff.”