MORECAMBE'S Midland Hotel could become a boarded-up eyesore unless a new buyer comes to the rescue.

In the week that the Eric Gill relief sculpture finally returned to the resort, the art-deco hotel was put back on the market at a knock-down price of just £850,000.

The hotel is currently losing money and the administrators, Sills & Betteridge, say a serious buyer must be found soon or it may have to close.

There have been renewed efforts to market the historic hotel abroad and the Friends of the Midland Hotel are seeking charitable status in a bid to boost their profile.

The restoration of the Eric Gill sculpture was warmly welcomed by civic leaders at the unveiling this week.

Leisure chairman, Cllr Keith Budden, thanked the police for tracking down the missing four-ton sculpture, which he described as "slightly risque."

"The Gill is back in its rightful place and it's nice to think that this is the first day of the rest of the hotel's life," he said.

But Gary Phillips of Sills & Betteridge expressed concern that the hotel, originally valued at £1.5 million, had been on the market for nearly 12 months.

He explained: "The hotel isn't making money at the moment and it's very expensive to heat but the bank is spending money to keep it open so it can be sold as a going concern. We've had lots of people express an interest in the hotel and there's one serious buyer who is still interested but we really do need to see something happen quite soon. The bank won't throw money at it forever. If they decide on closure we'd have to consider boarding it up, or employing someone as caretaker. The future remains uncertain."

The return of the Gill relief has presented the opportunity to re-market the hotel internationally. One of the other listed buildings owned by the late owner, Les Whittingham, has recently been bought by a Texan millionaire.

Sue Thompson of the Friends of the Midland said that they hoped to get charitable status in order to boost the group's profile.

She said: "We are determined to do all we can. I'm sure there's someone out there, maybe abroad, who could restore this magnificent building to its former glory."

If you would like to support the Friends call Sue on 34189.

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