Demolition of Stockton's 1970s Swallow Hotel under way

Demolition of the 1970s Swallow Hotel will be completed in January, the council said

Work to bulldoze a seven-storey hotel has begun, bringing the transformation of a town centre a step closer.

The Swallow Hotel is being brought down as part of a £40m revamp to connect Stockton High Street to the River Tees.

The demolition of the 1970s hotel will make way for Stockton Waterfront, an urban park and riverside plaza which is due to open in 2025.

Stockton Council said demolition work on the hotel would be completed in January.

The 1970s Castlegate Shopping Centre has already been torn down to make way for the new plaza.

The council said the park will "open up the town" and provide a link to the River Tees

In all, half of the town centre is set to be bulldozed to make way for the park, which is said to be three times the size of London's Trafalgar Square.

The council said it would "open up the town" and lessen the blight of closed shops.

Councillor Nigel Cooke, the council's cabinet member for regeneration and housing, said: "The Swallow Hotel coming down is going to be a major change to the Stockton skyline.

"Since the 60s we haven't been able to see the River Tees from the High Street, and you'll be able to do that quite soon.

"The Swallow Hotel has been an eyesore in for a number of years so this is an exciting moment for the future of our town."