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Derelict hotel destroyed by 'deliberate fire'

Lisa YoungSouth West
BBC The former hotel viewed from a drone. The front of the building is in tact but the roof is missing. The rooms and windows are blackened.BBC
The fire service said the fire had been deliberately started

A derelict hotel in a seaside town has been destroyed after it was deliberately set on fire.

The fire at the former Sherwood Hotel on Belgrave Road in Torquay was reported to have started at about 13:50 BST on Saturday.

Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service sent about 90 crew members to the scene and said it had been the second attendance to the building in three days.

A spokesperson said the three-storey building was structurally unsafe and had been 100% destroyed by the fire which had a "deliberate cause".

A drone shot looking down at the large building. The roof is missing and the building is blackened and empty.
The fire service's group commanding officer said the roof had completely collapsed

The fire service's group commanding officer Ben Williams said the fire had consumed multiple floors within the building and the roof had completely collapsed.

Devon and Cornwall Police said officers were investigating the incident and asked anyone with any information or CCTV or doorbell footage to come forward.

An aerial view of smoke billowing from the derelict hotel. The building is white and the roof is black with smoke.
The fire service said the blaze had been started deliberately

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