It was once a 4-star hotel - now the Strand Lodge in Blackpool is a burnt out shell after huge blaze

The three-storey building on Wilton Parade was engulfed in a huge blaze at around 5pm on Monday night.

Eight fire engines attended the scene as crews tackled the inferno, with flames shooting from the roof and police blocking off Dickson Road and the entrance of Wilton Parade.

People in neighbouring properties had to be evacuated.

Firefighters were still on the scene yesterday and Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service began an investigation into the cause of the fire.

Today all is quiet on Wilton Parade - the street remains cordoned off but fire crews have left and the building is left silent, windows smashed, wll charred and the roof decimated.

It was all so different a few short years ago.

In the Blackpool Hotels website it still says: “The designer Strand Lodge features 22 rooms equipped with a flat-screen TV with satellite channels as well as tea and coffee making equipment.

“Some rooms are fitted with a private bathroom.Promenade Restaurant will spoil you with British cuisine.

“It is located within an easy walking distance of this luxury accommodation.”

Lancashire Fire and Rescue said fire investigators will be at the scene late yesterday to investigate the cause of the fire.