Unsafe hotel 'to reopen with ITV's Benidorm theme'

The prohibition order on OYO Blarney Stone Hotel was issued on 30 May

The boss of a Blackpool hotel that was declared unsafe by a council has said it will be themed around TV comedy Benidorm when it reopens.

The OYO Blarney Stone on Alexandra Road in South Shore, would be having a "fresh start", manager William Thomas said.

The news came after Blackpool Council issued a prohibition notice on the hotel over a serious of concerns including electrical wiring and structural issues.

Mr Thomas stressed the hotel had already closed before the order was made.

The notice cites four areas of concern – electrical hazards, fire safety issues, structural collapse and food safety.

Mr Thomas told the Local Democracy Reporting Service the Blarney Stone was not open at the time the order was made.

'Fresh start'

An emergency prohibition order is a legal action taken by a local housing authority to immediately prohibit the use of a residential property (or part of it) when a category 1 hazard exists and poses an imminent risk of serious harm to the health or safety of the occupants.

Mr Thomas said no-one had been put at risk because the hotel had not been opened.

He added he agreed with the council action and was working with it "to make sure everything is fine when we open in the next few weeks".

Blackpool Council said: "The enforcement notices will not be revoked until the property is made safe.

"Planning enforcement officers will also investigate the use of the property. "

The 12-room hotel will reopen as the Benipool Solano Style Hotel.

The ITV comedy, starring Tim Healy and Johnny Vegas, is about the lives of a group of ex-pats living in the Costa Blanca resort.