A building gutted by fire was a former private guesthouse where Manchester’s ‘hidden’ homeless lived in horrific conditions, the M.E.N can reveal.
Nine fire engines and at least 50 firefighters battled the blaze at the property known as Val’s guesthouse in Ardwick , Manchester.
It started at around 10.40am on Saturday and sent huge plumes of smoke billowing over the area.
Police and the fire service searched the property to see if anyone was in the building, but the property was empty.
Val’s was recently highlighted in an M.E.N. investigation into the grim state of private B&Bs where hundreds of the city’s homeless were being housed.
The terraced property contains a warren of around 60 rooms and was, up until recently, classed as ‘unsupported temporary accommodation’ for people who are not owed a homelessness ‘duty’ by the local authority.
Openshaw-based homeless charity Justlife estimates that if all the people living in this type of accommodation were actually counted in national figures, government statistics would be ten times higher nationally than ministers currently admit.
It is understood Val’s has not had anyone living there for several months after the previous owner Dee Chiandra sold the business.
Mr Chiandra confirmed he sold Val’s in April and had no idea about the fire.
Speaking to the M.E.N. in April, he said he took the building over 18 months prior and had made efforts to improve conditions and make the hotel safer.
The current owners said: "We are currently monitoring the area 24/7 in view of starting repairs to the whole of the building, we have only just acquired the property recently and are shocked at what has happened and will conduct a full investigation to how it started and to ensure it never happens again.
"This property was purchased vacant."
It is understood the fire service has been in contact with council officials and has been reassured it was not occupied at the time of the blaze.
However, the possibility remains that someone may have been squatting in the building.
Fire chiefs said they expected to remain at the property for 24 hours.
Incident Commander, Al Topping, said: “Crews have done a fantastic job dealing with this fire.
“We were quick to respond and have been able to successfully get on top of it, thanks to the hard work of our firefighters."
