28DL and UE in the News Lincolnshire Echo 24/02/07

[tims]

Lincolnshire Echo, 24/02/07

'URBAN EXPLORERS' PLAY VERY DANGEROUS GAME

09:45 - 24 February 2007
Self-proclaimed urban explorers are risking life and limb to break into a decaying former mental hospital.


Urban exploring is the latest inner city craze that involves breaking into derelict or abandoned buildings, exploring them and photographing their finds.

On Internet forum 28 Days Later an explorer who calls himself The Crow says the old St John's Hospital in Bracebridge Heath is the ideal site for an urban explorer.

His Internet post says: "Both myself and Baz went there with the sole intent of photographing the place properly.

"We have explored it loads of times before but never really took the time to photograph it well. Got there at about 3pm and didn't leave until 7pm so was a good explore."

He also posts photographs of the inside of the hospital, which totals seven people who have posted pictures of their exploration of the site.

But the hospital building has stood empty since 1988, being boarded up as soon as the last patient left.

Many areas are now rotten and unsafe and anyone gaining access to the building is in danger of suffering serious injuries.

The building has recently been bought by developers Arenway and planning permission has been granted to convert the hospital building into flats and build 70 houses in the grounds.

Local historian Alistair Taylor, who lives in Bracebridge Heath, said: "I am a little annoyed as I have been trying to get permission to go in to the hospital and take photographs of the inside for a historical record.

"It has been shut up for a long time now so goodness knows what state the inside of it is like. I can't imagine it is very safe."

Police spokesman Dick Holmes said: "I'm sure the owners of this site would disagree that this is a good place to explore as it is private property.

"Trespass is a criminal offence and so is criminal damage or stealing anything from the site which is burglary. I notice that the place is boarded up so for anybody to get in they would need to break off the board and by that point they have committed a crime."

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