Grand Hotel to be demolished

Rother District Council says it has become an intolerable eyesore.

The hotel was burnt down by arsonists in 2003.

The authority ordered the hotel's owner, Derek Smith, of Oxford, to demolish the hotel.

But Mr Smith failed to knock it down by the August 11 deadline and the authority is now planning to press criminal charges against him.

If the owner does not demolish the hotel, the authority will carry out the work and bill him to cover the costs.