BLACKPOOL businesses should be on their guard after hoteliers in the town received letters from a bogus official demanding access to their premises, Blackpool Borough Council has warned.

The bogus official -- claiming to be a council "health and safety manager" -- wrote to hoteliers informing them of an impending visit to inspect their premises and threatening the withdrawal of licences.

The letter writer used a former department name -- Tourism and Development Services -- and also made grammatical and spelling errors.

A council spokeswoman said the letter was probably not a one-off incident and warned Blackpool businesses to be aware that the bogus official was operating in the area and may have criminal intentions.

She said that all council officers have authorised ID bearing a photograph and that any official letter from a council officer would always have a contact phone number.

Anyone with any worries regarding this incident can contact David Womack, group environmental health officer in charge of health and safety on 478336.