Morecambe: Manslaughter arrests over hotel carbon monoxide death

Five people were taken to hospital following a suspected gas leak at the hotel in December 2021

Three men have been arrested on suspicion of manslaughter after a hotel guest died with suspected carbon monoxide poisoning, police have said.

Lancashire Police said Graham Holden died at Morecambe's Royal Bar and Hotel in November 2021 with a high level of carbon monoxide in his blood.

The 66-year-old's death came to light after officers investigated a gas leak at the hotel on 26 December 2021.

Det Insp Dylan Hrynkow said the investigation was "incredibly complex".

A force spokesman said five people were taken to hospital following the suspected leak in December, but all had later been discharged.

However, he said that the investigation into that incident had established that Mr Holden had died at the hotel a month before.

He said a 41-year-old man from Morecambe and a 42-year-old man from Bolton le Sands were arrested on 9 June in connection with Mr Holden's death, while another man from Morecambe, aged 66, was held the following day.

Two other men from Morecambe, aged 50 and 72, have also been interviewed by police.

Appealing for information, Det Insp Hrynkow it had been "an incredibly complex and sensitive investigation".

"I would ask for patience while we establish the full circumstances of what has occurred," he added.

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