Guests still waiting for belongings after hotel fire

Guests evacuated from a hotel in Folkestone during a fire more than 10 days ago have said they are still waiting to reclaim belongings and vehicles left behind.

About 280 guests were forced to leave the Grand Burstin Hotel in Marine Parade due to the blaze on 19 September, while about 90 residents were also evacuated from homes nearby.

An investigation by Kent Police into the cause of the blaze, which is being treated as suspicious, is continuing.

Hotel bosses have not responded to the BBC over the guests' concerns, but previously said the site remained inaccessible because it was an active crime scene.

Maria Zheng, from London, and Rob Hassan, from Birchington, both had to leave possessions behind after the fire broke out at about 01:20 BST.

Hassan said two cars being used in a charity drive to Barcelona that were in the hotel's underground car park were destroyed in the fire.

"There is nothing left of them at all," he said.

"We'd like to see something from Britannia Hotels to say they are prepared to help us out.

"Most belongings in the hotel are still in there including prescription glasses and passports.

"People have said why didn't you grab a bag, or grab possessions. But when you are woken up by a fire alarm on the seventh floor in the early hours, the main thing is you have got to get out."

Zheng said she had spent about £500 replacing some essential items and was still waiting for news about her digital piano.

She said the items left behind included two suitcases containing clothes, books, make-up, Lancome skincare products, jewellery and the instrument.

Asked when she expected to get her belongings back, she said: "No idea at all."

Zheng said she had been told the hotel remained an active crime scene and parts of the building could be demolished.

"If they do not have access to the hotel, then there's nothing they can do," she said.

Meanwhile, local residents have also described the upheaval to their lives since the fire.

John Dighton, who lives at Pavilion Court, said he had been out of his home for more than a week and a half after being told to leave following the blaze.

He said residents were instructed to take a few days' worth of belongings.

"It's horrible. It is absolutely horrible," he said.

Asked what life had been like living with the uncertainty, he said: "It's very hard. It makes me feel like I'm back to being homeless again."

Businesses on Folkestone's Harbour Arm have spoken about the impact of the fire.

Dan Johannsen, marketing manager for the leisure and retail site, said businesses remained open despite changes to accessing the area.

"We've got an alternative entrance to site now by the back of the Burstin," he said.

"Our businesses are fully open. It's basically back to normal for us, but we've just got a different way of driving onto the site."

Johannsen praised hotel staff for their response to the fire.

"I think the real story of this is the amazing work that the Burstin staff would have had to do in the early hours of that Saturday morning to get that many people out when the fire was raging. It's amazing that no-one has been injured," he said.

Dave Smith, who runs Chummy's seafood stall, said: "Business hasn't been affected so badly as we still have public access from the town and there's been a lot of people coming along to look at the fire damage.

"However, I am concerned about the winter and Christmas season as many of our customers are coach parties who stay at the Grand Burstin and they may not now be coming."

A spokesperson for Britannia Hotels, which runs the Grand Burstin, previously said the company was supporting affected guests, while engineers completed necessary structural assessments of the building and the police conducted their investigations.

They said: "We are working as quickly as possible to determine the next steps but ensuring the safety of our colleagues and guests is our paramount priority."

In another update, Britannia said the hotel remained inaccessible because it was an active crime scene.

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