Street shut over hotel building safety concerns

0The Bear Hotel in Wareham said the building was evacuated as a “precaution”A street has been partially closed over building safety concerns following the collapse of masonry and part of a ceiling at a hotel in Dorset.

Just before 13:00 BST, the fire service said a number of properties in South Street, Wareham, had been evacuated as a "precaution".

In a statement later on Sunday, The Bear Hotel said: "This morning we discovered structural damage in one of our second floor guest bedrooms."

The room was unoccupied at the time and no-one was hurt, it said.

The hotel said part of the ceiling and masonry above a bay window had "come down".

"We reported this to Dorset Council straight away and, purely as a precaution, the building was evacuated this afternoon," it said, adding restaurant guests and its team had all left safely.

In a post on social media, Dorset Council said South Street was closed to vehicles and pedestrians from Trinity Lane to the Red Lion Pub due to a risk of falling debris.

The hotel apologised for the inconvenience caused to "guests, neighbours and everyone who uses South Street", adding there was "no need to panic".

Dorset and Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service