LEIGH Hill has been closed to traffic after part of the Bell Hotel collapsed. 

Shortly after 3pm today, a loud noise was heard from the Bell Sands development, Leigh Hill in Old Leigh.

Workmen from the site closed the road over fears the building is unstable following an incident.

Scaffolders woking on the site say the back of the building came down leaving the front in danger of collapsing across the road. 

The incident is causing traffic chaos in the run up to rush hour.

One witness described a large cloud of red brick dust.

He said: "The sound was similar to an earthquake and brought everyone around out of their premises to see what had happened.

"The building site workers were running around and have now closed-off Leigh Hill to traffic and pedestrians on the South side.

"I suspect part of the old Bell Hotel may have collapsed."

A police spokeswoman said: "Police were contacted at 3.20pm on November 24 with reports a building had partially collapsed at a building site on Leigh Hill, Leigh.

Officers attended and the local authority was contacted to assist with a road closure.

 

THE Echo would like to make it clear that Cherry Red Contractors Ltd are not linked to the development at the Bell Hotel in any way. Yesterday’s picture from the scene, published online, had a picture of the company’s van in it. Cherry Red are, in fact, contractors undertaking work on three cottages at 30 to 34, Leigh Hill and are not working on the Bell Hotel at all.