North Yorkshire Council’s head of resilience and emergencies, Matt Robinson, said:
“As a result of the fire at the disused Marine Residence Hotel in Belmont Road, Scarborough, in the early hours of Sunday, 16 July, the property is structurally unstable.
“The building is unsafe to enter, so we have not been able to determine the cause of the fire.
“The North Yorkshire Local Resilience Forum, which includes North Yorkshire Council as well as the fire service and police, is working to ensure the safety of the building.
“We have erected barrier fencing around the site to help secure it and some road closures remain in place. We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause local residents and businesses, but public safety must be our number one priority.
“We urge people to stay away from the building and surrounding site, which are extremely dangerous. With school holidays approaching, we ask parents to stress the importance of this message to their children.
“Police will be conducting visible patrols in the area but if anyone sees people trespassing within the cordoned site, they should call 999 immediately.
“Meanwhile we are working together to trace the owner of the building through all means available to us with a view to seeking a plan of action to make the building safe as soon as possible.
“We are also offering advice to neighbouring residents.
“Anyone with information relating to the fire, which may help firefighters or police determine the cause, is asked to call North Yorkshire Police on 101 and quote reference NYP-16072023-0040.”
If there are any updates on the cause of the fire, they will be published by North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service and, if appropriate, North Yorkshire Police.