Emergency powers to protect derelict Isle of Wight hotel from vandals
The Ocean Hotel has become a frequent site for trespassers and arsonists since its closure
An Isle of Wight hotel which has been the site of frequent arson attacks and vandalism is being secured.
Isle of Wight Council has secured emergency powers to better protect the Ocean Hotel in Sandown.
Since closing to guests in 2017, the site has become a frequent target with a spate of fires being started deliberately there, including three blazes in August this year alone.
Under the newly-enforced laws, all potential access points to the ground floor will be closed using metal sheeting, while any potential ledges or staircases which may provide access to the upper floors will be removed or guarded.
An additional perimeter line of defence will also be installed in the Esplanade to deter potential offenders, with vegetation being removed from the front of the building.
The works are expected to take around two weeks to complete.
Isle of Wight Council's cabinet member for planning, Councillor Paul Fuller, said:
"This protective measure is a significant and positive step forward to reduce anti-social behaviour while we continue to work towards a longer-term solution for this property.
"Our decision to use emergency powers to secure the building against unauthorised entry reflects the importance and seriousness of the situation.
"Intruders are not only putting themselves and the local community in danger, they are also risking the safety of our emergency services who are called there regularly."
The action comes as The Isle of Wight Community Partnership warns children and young people that they are putting their lives at risk by entering derelict buildings.
The partnership has called on parents and carers to help educate their children after a number of reports of intruders entering empty and dangerous properties over the summer holidays.
Sergeant Ben Sharland, from Hampshire and Isle of Wight Police's South Wight Neighbourhoods Policing Team, said:
“The issues at the Ocean Hotel have persisted for a long time, and understandably the local community have had enough.
“These problems have ranged from anti-social behaviour attributed to repeated trespass at the site, to more serious offending such as arson which presents a real risk to life. The building is derelict, and is therefore in itself also a safety hazard to anyone who accesses it.
“The South Wight Team have put a lot of work in both from an investigation point of view and also collaboratively with partners to find an effective solution to these issues.
“This has included making three arrests in relation to the recent arson series, for which our investigation remains ongoing, liaising with outreach services and the local authority in order to find housing for rough sleepers who have been known to use the site, and working with the Community Safety Partnership and local authority to introduce more robust security measures that will prevent access and further offending.
“The security measures currently being implemented are the next step in ridding the site of crime and anti-social behaviour and we will continue to take action and work with partners should any further concerns be raised to us by the local community.”