Police are working with Hampshire & Isle of Wight Fire and Rescue Service’s Arson Taskforce to investigate a series of suspicious fires at Sandown’s derelict Ocean Hotel. The once-grand seaside hotel was badly damaged by a blaze back in May 2021. Since then, the building has fallen into further disrepair and has become a playground for children, a shelter for squatters and seemingly a target for arsonists. Last week alone there were 3 fires within the building, all thought to have been started deliberately. The first was on Monday evening, followed by another fire just 3 days later. Firefighters found themselves back at the Ocean on Friday night too after yet another fire was set, just 24 hours after the last. Last night (Tuesday), 3 fire appliances were mobilised to the Esplanade once again after a smell of burning was reported. On this occasion, no fire was found. 
PC Trickey from the South Wight Neighbourhood Policing Team today (Wednesday) met with firefighters attached to the county’s Arson Taskforce as part of the ongoing investigation into the recent spate of fires. Earlier this week an information board was placed outside the Ocean Hotel asking for witnesses to come forward. Anyone with any information regarding these fires is asked to call Police on 101, or to email [email protected]. 
ARSON TASKFORCE CALLED IN AMID SPATE OF FIRES AT DERELICT OCEAN HOTEL
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Instead of bringing in a squad…bring in the owners! Too court ONCE AND FOR ALL. Bloody arrest them ..something! our taxes pay for the people wasting time going there.it’s nuts how the iow has too put up with a mia owner/s thats off scott free
I think it is owned by several people lease holders and the ground is owned by an American company.
A compulsory purchase order would resolve it quite nicely.
Only if they can identify the true owners, and there’s some discrepancy there.
They could keep the money aside for when the owners actually step forward and identify themselves.
Yes I know .i put owner/owners
Knock it down and clear the site,problem solved.
Don’t be ridiculous.This building could be turned into flats for indigenous islanders.They don’t make these structures anymore just sterile,corporate brutalism blocks,sans charm and pride (see Persimmon,Barratts et al).Hendrix and Marilyn Monroe once vacationed at this hotel back in time.
“Arson Taskforce”… give us a break, what a load of rhetoric.
Easily solved by having a regular Bobby on the beat…. but that would mean having a real person out on their feet and not spending time on the internet looking for transgressions against the state.
Now where are my meds…
A simple question needs to be asked due to the ongoing situation surrounding this derilict property. ”What precautions or actions have been taken, since problems first started back in 2021, by any authority or person with the power to do so, have been taken, to deter or stop any smackheads, low life, feril brats or arsonists, from entering the building, in order to commit any offence, by any forcefull means by errecting fencing or other types of security to deter such actions by the dross scum”. The answer to this question is sod all.
Knock it down F.F.S it is costing tax payer resources
thousands of pounds
I suppose that letting it burn down to solve the problem completely is out of the question.
The thick on here call to have it demolished. It will costs thousands to pull it down and far more to remove the heap of rubble.
Ask yourself WHY the wealthy consortium of owners haven’t sold it in the property boom time as the Loss in interest or using the revenue to invest is huge as time passes.
There is more to this than meets the eye.
it is obvious and a time honoured thing on the island
you own an old hotel and want to convert it to flats – the isle of wight council always seem to refuse change of use and then the owner simply lets it rot. The council refuse to give in and the status quo prevails, meanwhile the property continues to fall into disrepair. After many years of being a blight on the landscape, an unfortunate fire guts and devastates the property. The council then agree to it being rebuilt as flats, as long as the exterior roughly resembles the previous hotel. Owners build the place back up and then rent every room to the benefits agency for their army of dossers.
Pretty sure it’s carlauren group that owns most of the derelict hotels in sandown and they’re in major financial difficulty
They are the subject of a £74 million fraud from what I recall. They’ve done the same in other areas of the country. How about an update on the situation Island Echo as there seem to be many people making comments without knowing what’s going on. To all of you that think demolition is the answer; think of what would happen to the High Street if it was demolished, a retaining structure would have to be built to stabilise the road. If anyone saw the amount of steelwork and concrete that went into the Premier Inn then you’d know it would be a massive expense. Who would pay for that?
If the so called owners who ever they may be will not make the building secure, and I do not mean a few sheets of hardboard then the council can make it safe and take a charge over the building to recoup any outlay.
What a waste of time ,effort money .
obviously arson , better security needed ,,, no just flatten it. Simple
Stick up some trail cameras and catch whoever it is going in there.. live feed type or just photos.. high enough they can’t see them.. and instead of a plastic barrier cover the hole on the door on the High Street actually board it up efficiently
Great idea. It is becoming a nuisance, and is
putting a strain on the Emergency services.
This building represents “Corporate Vandalism”and should have been demolition years ago. Sandown in become urban dump
Demolish it and turn it into a kids playground.