Margate fire may have been arson

ARSON is the suspected cause of a fire that destroyed a Margate hotel last week.

The Newbury Hotel had been used by asylum-seekers untila week before the fire, butwas unoccupied at the time because it was undergoing refurbishment.

Five fire engines were called to the blaze, which started on the ground floor and damaged 80% of the hotel.

A spokesman from Kent Fire Brigade said that investigations were continuing. There is also concern, he said, for the structural stability of the building.

Hoteliers in the area have become increasingly concerned about the number of hotels being used for immigrants, and some fear it is driving tourists fromthe area.

It is understood that up to 40 immigrants had been living at the Newbury until recently.

Nelly Lim, owner of the 30-bedroom Falcon Holiday hotel in nearby Cliftonville, claimed tourist numbers were dropping as more hotels took in immigrants.

"There are also many hotels boarded up," she added.