The National Motorcycle Museum faced its worst disaster yet when, on 16 September, a fire destroyed almost half its rare collection.
| |  | Staff carefuly moving damaged motorcycles
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Although more than 400 of the 800 exhibits at the attraction were saved in the blaze, those lost are estimated to be worth up to £9 million.
We went to the museum and were saddened by the scenes of destruction.
Click the images button below to see the latest pictures of the costly damage.
| |  | Unrepairable damage
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Spokesman Ken Wilson said insurers had yet to put a figure on the damage, but it was likely that replacing the gutted building would cost another £5 million.
West Midlands Fire Service said that a cigarette butt was responsible for igniting a small pile of cardboard boxes, leading to the massive blaze.
It is possible a member of staff may have thrown the cigarette in the designated smoking area outside the building.
Hundreds of vintage motorbikes, many of them irreplaceable and having been used in world record feats and other events such as the Manx TT, were wiped out.
| |  | A disaster for famous local brands of bikes
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The machines were part of a collection charting the history of the British motorcycle industry.
Exhibits from the five display halls included BSA Gold Stars, Sunbeam Twins, DMW Hornets and Triumph racers.
Mr Richards, who started his collection in the 1970s and opened the museum in 1984, has pledged to reopen the attraction as soon as possible.
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