Pictures and video show all that is left of The Plough pub in Sheffield as demolition continues apace

Work started to take down The Plough, in Sandydate, just over a week ago with work to remove items such as roof tiles visible as men on raised platforms worked on the areas around the roof.

But pictures taken by The Star show the 100-year-old building’s entire frontage has now been knocked to the ground, with only a small section of the back the building remaining.

Large diggers could be seen removing some of the rubble that remains of the former pub, on Sandygate Road, which now lies on the ground in front of the small section that still stands.

The pub, on Sandygate Road, opposite Hallam FC – the oldest football ground in the world – is believed to be where the modern rules of football were first drawn up, albeit in an earlier building. But plans to raze the premises and replace it with eight new three-bedroom town houses were approved last year when a planning inspector overturned Sheffield Council’s decision to refuse permission.

The building was advertised for sale with a £2.2m asking price. In 2017, campaigners fighting to save the pub had managed to raise £435,000 in an attempt to buy it and run it for the community. But then-owners Ei Group rejected that offer and instead sold it to Spacepad, which eventually secured permission to bulldoze the pub and build homes on the plot.

The current building dates back to 1929, but it is understood a pub has existed there since the 17th century. The Plough Inn closed in 2015 and plans to open a Sainsbury’s store there were rejected by the council in 2017. The pub was listed by the council as an asset of community value, meaning that when Ei Group decided to sell up, it was required to give members of the community the opportunity to put together a bid, which it did, but it was under no obligation to accept the offer.

The firm instead sold to Spacepad, which applied for permission to demolish the pub and build homes. More than 200 objections were submitted, with Save Britain’s Heritage and CAMRA (Campaign for Real Ale) among those opposing the application.