Harry Redknapp hotel 'will not evict residents this week'

Harry Redknapp's company, Pierfront Properties, will redevelop the former hotel

People living in a former hotel owned by football manager Harry Redknapp will now not be evicted on Monday.

Residents previously told the Local Democracy Reporting Service they were being moved out of the former Belgravia Hotel in Bournemouth.

But Mr Redknapp's company Pierfront Properties said it would not evict anyone living on the site next week.

A spokesman said they were "working closely" with charity Shelter to help the 12 residents leave "one by one".

The former hotel has been used as accommodation for homeless people since 1988.

Plans to convert the hotel into flats and houses were approved by Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole (BCP) Council earlier this month.

Belgravia Hotel has been used to house homeless people for more than three decades

Two previous applications to demolish the hotel building had been refused.

The majority of objections to the plans were from people living in the building, including Edward Hyde who told BCP it would exacerbate the homeless situation and put the welfare of residents at risk.

Concerns were also raised about residents being evicted without a new place to live, but a Pierfront spokesman said there "were never any plans to remove any residents on Monday".

The council's cabinet member for housing Kieron Wilson said the authority would make "direct contact" with any residents facing eviction in the future.