Parts of structurally ‘unsound' Brighton hotel to be demolished after fire

Parts of the Royal Albion hotel in Brighton will be demolished after a devastating fire left it structurally "unsound".

The blaze at the Britannia-owned hotel broke out at 5:30pm on Saturday, with crews battling through Sunday and into Monday to bring it under control.

Speaking to BBC Radio Sussex yesterday (Monday) George O'Reilly, business safety manager for East Sussex Fire and Rescue Service (ESFRS), said he could not send crews into the building due to the danger of it collapsing.

He added: "We're going to be demolishing part of that building and extinguishing the fire as it is being demolished."

Brighton and Hove City Council said it anticipates that the demolition works will take two to three weeks. The local authority said asbestos is known to be in ceiling coatings in the business, but added that it is unlikely to pose "significant risk of exposure".

ESFRS had earlier confirmed no-one was injured in the blaze, which broke out in a fourth floor room, and necessitated the evacuation of people in nearby buildings.

At the fire's height emergency services cordoned off surrounding roads and told people to stay away due to "significant smoke", which was made worse by wind. The public were urged to close windows and doors and avoid the seafront.

Yesterday afternoon ESFRS said the fire was under control, but that the A259 would remain closed for at least 72 hours while the location was made safe. It warned: "This timeframe may be extended, as partners work hard to reduce the footprint of the site safely."

Residents living in buildings directly behind the hotel have been told these will remain inaccessible due to the risk of falling debris.

Brighton City Council leader Cllr Bella Sankey said: "I want to give my heartfelt thanks to emergency services and everyone else who supported the response to the awful fire at the historic Royal Albion hotel over the weekend.

"Sadly, the building has suffered significant damage and we'll need to keep the roads closed while it's made safe.

"We're asking everyone to continue following advice from emergency services and to please keep away from the area.

"We're sorry for the ongoing disruption – thank you for bearing with us while the area is made safe."