Wednesday, 22 Aug 2007 19:44
The burned out ruins of the Penhallow Hotel
A coroner has named the 43-year-old man who died in a fire at a Newquay hotel last week.
Peter Hughes, from Cheslyn Hay, Staffordshire, died after jumping from one of the upper floors from Penhallow Hotel in Cornwall.
A further five people needed hospital treatment following the fire, one of which is in a critical condition in hospital.
Human remains found at the scene are still being investigated for identification.
The families of two people in their 70s and 80s who are unaccounted for have been advised about the situation.
Devon and Cornwall police are continuing to treat the remains of the hotel as a "major crime scene".
At a news conference this week Detective Chief Inspector Darren Lockley explained that detectives were keen to speak to any residents or visitors to the hotel between 19:00 BST on Friday August 17th and 01:00 BST the following day.
He also revealed that images or digital recordings taken on mobile phones or cameras by members of the public could prove to be of "vital importance" in the police investigation.
"Hotel staff have been very supportive of the enquiry, and it is a credit to them that they managed to evacuate as many as they did," DCI Lockley added. "There could easily have been a greater loss of life."
Earlier this week unions blamed the death of up to three people in the hotel blaze upon budget cuts to UK fire services.
Police later revealed that a burglary had been reported at the hotel earlier on Friday evening, although no connection was made between this and the fire. Nevertheless an appeal for witnesses has been issued.