Firefighters from Newton Abbot are tonight (Friday, April 3) assisting their colleagues from Torquay, Paignton and Totnes fire stations fighting a blaze at a former hotel in the centre of Torquay.

According to Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service crews are tacking a blaze at what is believed to be the derelict Sherwood Hotel on Belgrave Road in the town.

A total of five fire engines plus an aerial ladder platform were mobilised following numerous calls reporting a building fire just after 9pm.

The former seaside hotel had become an ‘anti-social behaviour magnet’ and in October 2025 had been shut down by Devon and Cornwall after an order granted by Plymouth Magistrates' Court.

The order, the first to be used on a hotel in the region, meant only authorised people such as the landlord, utility companies and the emergency services could enter the property.