BURNLEY'S landmark hotel has been snapped up for £700,000 by a Cheshire-based businessman who has vowed to carry out further improvement works.

The Keirby Hotel, Keirby Walk, underwent £300,000 worth of refurbishments last year after Crown Properties bought the hotel from the Friendly Group in April 2001.

Rumours that the former Comfort Inn was going to be used for a bus station or asylum seekers' hotel were put to rest when the company took over.

As part of last year's work the boiler and central heating system was upgraded with the bedrooms and function suites undergoing redecoration.

The new owner, Mr Stephen McLoughlin, took over the hotel in April and is to change the name to the Keirby Park Hotel.

He intends on carrying out work over the next year, including installing a new bar and restaurant and replacing old window frames. A spokesman for the hotel said: "Mr McLoughlin took over a couple of months ago and has plans to carry out quite a lot of work here."

The seven-storey building was built in 1960 by the former Massey's Burnley Brewery and was named after a brewery which had stood on the site.

The 50-bedroom hotel has had a number of owners including Cresta Hotels in 1968, the Virani Group in 1983 and The Friendly chain in 1987.

When the Virani Group owned the premises in the 1980s they changed its name back to The Keirby Hotel and planned to invest £250,000 in refurbishing the building.

The hotel has been called The Friendly, The Friendly Stop Inn, the Comfort Friendly Inn and the Comfort Inn.

Guests have included Lord Attenborough, formerly Sir Richard, who stayed there during the filming of Whistle Down The Wind.