BLAZE RIPS THROUGH HOTEL
RESIDENTS living near a fire-hit hotel are calling for security to be stepped up as investigations continue into what caused the major blaze.
They say children and youths have been breaking into Clayton Lodge Hotel, in Clayton, ever since it closed at the start of the coronavirus pandemic.
Police last night said they were not looking for a suspect in connection with the fire which which started late on Friday night and damaged around one-fifth of the building.
Retired Eric Turner, from Clayton, said: “The car park used to have security on it and people would park on there. But the security was removed, all the cameras went, and children are going there. The police came recently to look at the damage and a few boards were put around the windows.”
The 85-year-old can see the Clayton Road hotel from his home.
He added: “The original building was the home for the manager of the North Stafford Hotel. It was part of the history of the village and now this has happened.
“It was a centre of local life. It was a good hotel at one time, we’ve had many happy times there. It’s a piece of history gone, and a piece of our fabric we’ve lost completely.”
Lorna Turner, aged 79, said: “There are always children going up there. They even went up there when the hotel was in working order.
“It’s just a shame. It’s heartbreaking to see it like that. It was the place to go at one time, that’s where you went.”
Joiner Nathanial Barry saw the fire take hold. He said: “It was going like mad, really bad, and I thought the whole place was going to go up.”
Neighbours have told how they watched in horror when a fire ripped through a hotel in North Staffordshire.
They saw flames shooting above the trees as firefighters battled the blaze with overhead water cannons.
Teacher Hinna Khan, aged 29, said: “I didn’t understand what was going on at first. I could see lots of blue lights from ground level and then, from upstairs, I could see smoke and flames.
“That’s when I realised what was actually happening. It was quite worrying because it’s just across the road.”
Self-employed Lorraine Stubbs, aged 62, added: “You could see all the flames above the trees - and they’re tall trees. It was sad. It’s always been there. It looked really bad.
“I was watching it for about 40 minutes and it had already been going for about 20 minutes by then. It looked pretty bad.”
Retired Angela Cam added: “All the flames were coming up the roof at the back, higher than the trees, so it was a fair way up.
“The hotel is supposedly empty. But there are always people in and out there.”
Longton fire station manager Dan Keeling said this afternoon: “It was a significant fire, with five engines, one aerial appliance, and up to 30 firefighters. We will do a fire investigation to try to determine the cause, and then Newcastle Borough Council has got a structural engineer to determine the safety of the building and where the building owner goes from here.”
A police spokesman said a forensic examination had been carried out. They added: “We have, from what we can see so far, been unable to ascertain whether the fire was caused deliberately or it was an accidental ignition. It does however appear we are not looking for a suspect.”
A Clayton Lodge Hotel representative yesterday declined to comment.