Legal threat for couple who painted hotel pink

A Welsh couple have been threatened with legal action for painting part of their hotel pink.

David and Ann Blanchard decided their Oasis Hotel needed a boost so paid out £2,000 (€2,510) for the building's pillars and fine detail to be transformed with an electric pink.

However, Mostyn Estates, the company owning the freehold of the land in Llandudno, and Conwy Council, were unimpressed and want it returned to a more staid pink.

The work was done at the beginning of this week but by Wednesday the couple, who have run the hotel for two years, had been visited by a planning officer, who threatened to prosecute them.

"It's hard enough to make a living as it is without the council making things harder," said Mrs Blanchard, 58.

"People who have a guaranteed income coming in don't understand how hard it is to make a living."

The couple, who have been married for a year, said business has boomed since the transformation with nothing but positive comments from wellwishers and guests at the £35 (€43.94) a night bed and breakfast.

Mrs Blanchard said: "I have had 22 emails from people I don't even know all being very supportive and wanting to pass on nice comments after hearing about what's happened.

"My daughter Sarah has started an online petition on the Facebook website."

She added that the paint job also helped the town "come out of the dark ages".

"Ken Dodd, Jim Davidson and a Lib Dem MP all recently said that Llandudno is God's waiting room," said the hotelier.

"It's a beautiful, vibrant seaside resort and it's not where all the old people go.

"We have youngsters and families staying here and the change of colour reflects that a little.

"I don't want it to be Blackpool.

"The council said change the colour or face prosecution. I am disappointed and feel they are just taking it a bit far.

"The whole thing isn't pink, it's just the details have been picked out.

"If we had painted all the hotel pink they would have had something to shout about but it is pristine."

Asked for a comment about a possible prosecution, a Conwy Council spokesman could only say the matter was under investigation.

No one at Mostyn Estates was available to comment.