Landmark hotel closure hits staff

The Swallow was a three-star hotel

Up to 70 staff have been left jobless after the closure of one of Teesside's biggest hotels.

Workers and guests at The Swallow in Stockton were told by administrators that the hotel was closing immediately on Monday.

It is believed a number of wedding receptions booked at the 125-bedroom site will now have to be cancelled.

The landmark hotel has served the town since opening in John Walker Square in the early 1970s.

A statement from administrators Smith and Willimanson said the hotel was closed after potential solutions to keep it in operation had been "exhausted."

A spokesman said: "The hotel has not taken further booking deposits since it was placed in administration on 16 July.

"Unfortunately, all deposits made before the appointment are not guaranteed and those who made deposits will become creditors of the company."

All customers who made bookings using a credit card should, in the first instance, contact their credit card supplier to seek repayment, he added.