THE search of an Aberystwyth hotel that was ravaged by fire got underway today, but could take “a number of weeks” to complete, Dyfed-Powys Police has warned.

Concerns over the safety of the Ty Belgrave Hotel has meant the search of the building has not been possible until almost five weeks after the early morning fire on Wednesday, 25 July, that has seen scaffolding erected around the hotel.

It is feared that a Lithuanian man who had been staying at the hotel and has been missing since the fire could have died in the blaze, but with investigators unable to enter the building, no body had yet been found.

It has now been confirmed that an urban search and rescue team consisting of fire officers from Mid and West Wales and South Wales Fire and Rescue services entered the hotel building this afternoon.

The search is expected to take a number of weeks and will see a specialist dog unit and forensic experts go into the fire-damaged property.

It is not expected that there will be further disruption at the site or surrounding area.

Dyfed-Powys Police Superintendent Robyn Mason said: “We would like to thank members of the public for their patience as work has been carried out to secure the structure of the hotel.

“We are now able to start the next phase of the investigation, which will involve examining the remains of the building in fine detail to find any evidence that will identify the cause of the fire.”

See this week’s Aberystwyth paper for the full story, available in shops and as a digital edition tomorrow