AN investigation into a fire at a pub has yet to establish the cause.

It is still not known whether a blaze at the Admiral Jellicoe in High Street, Canvey last month was an accident.

However Essex Police has dismissed it as arson.

Drinkers had to flee after the blaze broke out in the cellar on November 19.

Landlord Mark Lester evacuated the building after raising the alarm at about 5.30pm.

Two crews went to the scene and found the entire ground floor filled with smoke. Because of its severity, two more crews were called and firefighters used thermal image cameras to search the smoke-filled building.

It took firefighters from Canvey, Rayleigh, Wickford and Basildon 45 minutes to dampen flames. Because of Mr Lester’s quick action, no one was injured or trapped.

Essex Fire and Rescue carried out an investigation into the cause, but three weeks later it has not been able to come up with any information.

A spokesman said: “Our report has come out inconclusive. The cause of the fire is still undecided, with an accidental or deliberate cause equally likely possibilities.”

It is thought the blaze could have started in a void between the first floor and cellar. A joint police and fire investigation was launched to try to uncover the cause.

Mr Lester, 51, said the pub had to close for four days to clean up the mess. He added: “The fire damage was just in the cellar. It was smoke damage which caused a hell of a lot of problems, but we managed to get up and running four days later.

“The fire chief hasn’t worked out what it was yet, but it looks like it could have been electrical.’’