Isle of Wight police investigate fire at historic seafront hotel
- Published
A fire tore through an historic seafront hotel on the Isle of Wight, leading to a police investigation.
More than 45 firefighters tackled the blaze at the derelict Ocean Hotel in Sandown after reports at about 20:30 BST on Saturday of black smoke coming from the roof.
All four floors of the building, where Charles Darwin and Lewis Carroll both stayed, were affected, Hampshire and Isle of Wight Rescue Service confirmed.
No-one was injured in the blaze.
Isle of Wight Police appealed on Facebook, external for anyone with information to contact the force.
Crews from Sandown, Shanklin, Ryde, Newport, Ventnor, East Cowes and Cowes worked until 04:30 to put out the flames.
Firefighters from Fareham, Hightown, Southsea and Droxford, in Hampshire, were also sent over by ferry to provide relief and further cover for the Island.
The fire service's Justin Harden said the site will be secured but warned that areas of the hotel are "structurally unstable as a result of the fire".
The cause of the fire is not yet known and is being investigated by Hampshire and Isle of Wight police, supported by the fire investigation team.
Follow BBC South on Facebook, external, Twitter, external, or Instagram, external. Send your story ideas to south.newsonline@bbc.co.uk, external.