AN EX-HAIRDRESSER who bought the Crooked House pub just days before it was destroyed in a fire is a glamorous jetsetter.
Carly Taylor, 34, and her husband Adam, 44, will be quizzed by cops after the iconic pub in Himley, Staffordshire, burnt down on Saturday night.
Mrs Taylor is understood to have purchased the pub from brewery Marston's last month.
She is the director of ATE Farms Ltd, a firm set up by her husband, who himself is a shareholder and former director of Himley Environment Ltd – which runs a landfill site next to the pub.
Mrs Taylor is also a director of multiple other companies and now enjoys "a life of luxury" after "striking gold" when she met her husband – later leaving a career as a hair stylist and nail technician.
The couple enjoy a lavish lifestyle and live in a gated house between Hinckley and Lutterworth in Leicestershire.
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Mrs Taylor is seen posing in a bikini outside the famous seven-star Burj Al Arab hotel during a trip to Dubai on her social media.
She is also seen smiling with a handbag under the Eiffel Tower in Paris and driving a Bentley.
Other photos show her posing for the camera while sat in first class seats on a plane and an image of a Chanel bag with the caption: "Oopps!!"
A local at a nearby pub Mr Taylor used to visit said: "Carly struck gold when she married Adam. She’s his second wife.
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"She once ran a hairdressing and nail business, now she runs a business and property empire.
"She’s done very well for herself and both she and Adam work really hard.
"But she lives the life of luxury too and enjoys travelling in luxury to nice places."
The couple, who own a portfolio of companies and properties, are "always on the lookout" for a new venture.
Mrs Taylor also owns a second pub, the Sarah Mansfield Country Inn – a pub in the rural village of Willey, Warwickshire.
The ale house is just five miles from their gates home.
A relative also told MailOnline: "I think she thinks she is better than everyone else since she married into money.
"She seems to go here there and everywhere, judging by Facebook."
A second person detailed how Mrs Taylor "loved shopping for designer handbags".
Mrs Taylor's step-son told the newspaper at ATE Farms' business address that the pub had been purchased by the company, rather than in a personal capacity.
The devastating fire came just days after it was sold to the private buyer for "alternative use".
And within just 36 hours, mechanical diggers were at the site of the 18th century pub put to flatten its scorched remains "without permission".
Police have revealed they are treating the fire as arson, while firefighters were also initially hampered from accessing the pub by a mound of earth on a rural access road.
Cops say they will "continue to engage" with Mr and Mrs Taylor as an investigation continues.
Meanwhile, South Staffordshire Council has said its lawyers are looking into potential breaches of the Town and Planning Act after the Crooked House was demolished.
One of the first firefighters at the scene has now revealed his crew's access to the building was restricted due to a mound of dirt "blocking" the rural road.
Firefighters said access was difficult due to the mounds, forcing crews to park up about a third of the way up the lane.
The Crooked House, which had been known as "Britain's wonkiest pub", was put forward for listed status protection just days before it became rubble.
It would have meant that the owners would have needed permission from the council to fully demolish it before doing so.
Roger Lees, leader of South Staffordshire council, said that planning officers had visited the burnt-out pub on Monday.
He said: "The agreed course of action included the removal of three elements of the first-floor front elevation only.
"This was only to avoid the weak parts of the structure from falling. At no point did the council agree the demolition of the whole structure nor was this deemed necessary.
"This council finds the manner in which the situation was managed following the fire completely unacceptable and contrary to instructions provided by our officers."
Detective Chief Superintendent Tom Chisholm, Head of Specialist Crime at Stafforfshire Police, added: "We understand the significance of this much-loved building and the upset and anger felt by many so want to reassure you we’re doing all we can to understand more about what happened, and who was responsible.
"There is lots of misinformation circulating within communities and online and this is unhelpful. We’re trying to provide accurate and timely updates, but as I am sure you can appreciate, there is a lot of work and liaison with a number of partners which needs to be completed and this takes time.
"There are also certain things that police and fire do not have the powers to deal with, the decision around partial demolition of the building for example, when the scene was handed back to the owner.
"We are working hard with our fire colleagues to understand the cause of the fire and are in contact with the landowner, we will keep you updated with any further significant developments."
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Built in 1765 as a farmhouse, The Crooked House became a pub in the 19th century and got its name after subsidence from mining caused its distinctive 16-degree tilt.
It attracted visitors from all over the world who would test out an optical illusion which made objects appear to roll uphill along the bar.
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