FIFTEEN fire-fighters have tackled a fire in a disused hotel in Shanklin this afternoon.
The former Meyricks Cliff hotel on the Shanklin seafront was badly damaged in the fire, which took more than an hour to bring under control.
Homes and businesses near the Esplanade Road hotel weren’t evacuated, but police closed the road, whilst fire crews from Shanklin, Sandown and Newport dealt with the blaze.
It is believed nobody was injured in the fire, despite initial suggestions a group of children might have been in the hotel.
The fire broke out in a room on the ground floor of the three-storey building at 3.30pm this afternoon (Monday December 13)
An Isle of Wight Fire Service spokeswoman said “We received a number of calls from people reporting the incident and that there was smoke issuing from the building”.
Firefighters were told children sometimes played in the boarded-up hotel, which closed about two years ago, and crews entered the building in breathing apparatus to search for people inside.
Duty officer Station Manager Dean Hayward for Isle of Wight Fire Service said “Crews arrived promptly to tackle the blaze and stop the spread and further damage.” Mr Hayward went on to confirm that a joint investigation between the fire service and the police had been launched to investigate the cause of the fire.
