Work has begun on converting Helston’s former Gwealdues Hotel into 19 homes.

Bulldozers and diggers have moved onto the site to demolish the hotel buildings, which had been falling into increasing disrepair since the business stopped trading in 2011.

The site is now owned by Porthleven-based building firm Mitchells Construction, which will carry out the development work – although a contractor is taking the old buildings down. Conditional approval was given in 2011 for the demolition of the hotel and the redevelopment of the site to provide ten houses and nine flats.