A COUNCIL leader has called the closing of a landmark hotel for failing to meet health and safety standards a 'scandal'.

The Crown Hotel, known locally as the Keirby Hotel on Keirby Walk in Burnley, has been closed by Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service and Burnley Council served a series of legal notices earlier this week.

These orders related to concerns about health and safety, and specifically about fire safety.

Because of these orders, people living and staying at the hotel needed to move out. Burnley Council has arranged short term and temporary accommodation where appropriate, and has provided advice to the people who were living at the hotel.

The building is now unoccupied.

And leader of Burnley Council has thanked the Lancashire Fire Service and other agencies for taking decisive action to keep people safe.

He said: "I'd like to say a big thank you to the fire service and all the authorities who have been so diligent in taking action but most importantly getting the people staying there to safety.

"There is absolutely no excuse to let this happen, especially in what happened in the Grenfell Tower tragedy.

"It's a scandal that the building has been allowed to fall below acceptable health and safety standards and I hope the people who run the building are taken to task by the relevant authorities.

"It's an iconic building in Burnley town centre and we want it to be used but that's for the future. I'm just pleased that everyone is safe."

The Lancashire Telegraph reported in 2012 that the hotel was to be transformed into halls of residence for UCFB College of Football Business students.

Any bookings which have been made for rooms at the hotel are now cancelled.

The authorities are in contact with the owners of the building, and the tenant company.

No one from the company was available for comment at the time of going to press.

Any individual or organisation who has made bookings for the Keirby Hotel / The Crown Hotel, Burnley, and who has any query about refunds, or about any other monies owed, should contact The Crown Hotel in Stoke on Trent on 01782 599343.