A BURY man and his family were outraged by the conditions they encountered while staying in Blackpool’s Village Hotel, which including thick layers of dust, refusal to award Eat Out to Help Out discounts and blood on a pillowcase.

Ian Walsh had first visited the hotel on July 12, staying for two days when he first came across some of these issues.

Though most staff members tried their best, he found little help forthcoming from management.

Mr Walsh said: “Although my room was supposed to be cleaned and sanitised, there was a blood stain on my pillowcase, which I didn't notice until I folded it in the middle of the night.

“Staff were apologetic but no sign of the manager when I asked for him.

“After returning home after the July incident I received an email from the general manager saying that he hoped I enjoyed my stay and that I made use of the swimming pool - The swimming pool was then still shut down through coronavirus rules!”

On the couple’s second trip to the hotel, accompanied by their daughter and 14 and six-year-old grandchildren, on Sunday 16 August they found similarly poor conditions.

Mr Walsh said that there was a layer of dust over the television screen, stand and table and that the swimming pool was not covered at night.

He said: “I have recently read that parents should cover their children's paddling pools at night to prevent rats etc gaining access, as their urine can cause serious illnesses if they urinate in the water.

“As the outdoor pool is very close to the golf course my mind is open as to whether any creatures make use of the warm water during the night.”

Again, staff appeared to be doing there best under trying circumstances, however Mr Walsh believes that there were too few to do an effective job and that the fault lies with the hotel management.

Similarly, the hotel’s approach to Eat Out to Help Out, appeared to be out of keeping with the spirit of the scheme.

Mr Walsh said: “We were in the hotel’s pub and grill on the Monday night, expecting to receive the appropriate discounts under the Eat out to help out scheme, which the hotel groups website says that they are a participating member.”

“When the bill was paid we actually received a Eat out to help out discount of £10, when full price for four adult meals and soft drinks was £66.50.

“I queried this with the bar manager who insisted that the hotels interpretation of the scheme was that the discount applied per bill, and not per person.”

He added: “Customers were trying to social distance which meant not only was the queue over a large area, but diners were crisscrossing the queues for various reasons, making a mockery of the social distancing rules.”

The hotel was approached for comment but said that they were not able to discuss individual bookings due to data protection regulations, however they said that a comprehensive guide to their pricing and health and safety policies are available online.