An iconic former hotel building is set to be lost forever, as a demolition crew has arrived to tear it down.

The Skinburness Hotel, near Silloth, has stood empty for about a decade, becoming an eyesore after falling into a serious state of disrepair.

Residents in Skinburness have long called on the authorities to act, with many hoping the building could be saved and restored.

The hotel has been up for sale for several years and failed to attract buyers at previous auctions. Most recently it had a guide price of £250,000 and has now been bought by Northumberland-based DP Contractors.

Workmen from the company arrived at the site this week and have begun the demolition.

Owner Dave Perry said: "We are going to secure the site, demolish the building and then clear it.

"Then we will develop it for sale."

The building, which is more than 130 years old and built by Cumbrian architect Charles Ferguson, was stripped of all valuable fixtures after its former owners were declared bankrupt in 2006.

A £3m project to convert the site into a 64-room care home in 2010 never came to fruition.

Silloth's mayor Tony Markley said: "It's sad that the iconic building is going to go, but it's understandable because it's in a state of disrepair and it's not a viable project for someone to reconstruct.

"But hopefully from this demolition we will get a new area, building or development which will help the economy of Silloth and Cumbria."

Mr Perry added: "We will be asking the locals for their input and what they would like to see.

"People so far have said they'd like to see housing. Residents think housing would bring the biggest benefits to the community.

"It's in such a bad state. We couldn't save it. It wouldn't be cost-effective to bring it back to life in its current state."