Urgent action to turn the tide of disrepair on a prominent seafront building in Tenby is being taken by authorities this week.

Pembrokeshire Coast National Park Authority and Pembrokeshire County Council have stepped in with legal notices in a bid to get the long-promised restoration of the Royal Gatehouse Hotel underway.

County councillor Michael Williams is calling for draconian action' to be taken on two counts.

He said this week: "One, to protect the public. Two, to try and preserve, before it is too late, a very fine listed building."

Cllr Williams, who is vice-chairman of the park's development management committee, added in a letter to the authority: "The building appears to have deteriorated considerably during the recent bad weather, with pedestrians crossing the road to avoid walking under the scaffolding in The Norton.

"It also appears that a vehicle has collided with one of the supporting pillars in White Lion Street, causing a piece of what appears to be scaffolding tube to protrude in a dangerous manner."

A letter was sent to hotel owner Graham Fry in August by the national park authority, warning that an urgent works notice would be served if repairs were not carried out, a spokesman told the Western Telegraph.

He added: "However, no work has taken place and so the authority has instructed a local conservation architect to prepare a schedule of works which will accompany the urgent works notice.

"Separately, Pembrokeshire County Council is having to address other issues in respect of the building and is to serve a dangerous structures notice. The two authorities are working together to ensure this important building is restored in a safe and stable way.

"Enforcement action is a last resort, but in this case this listed building is in such a state of disrepair that it is the only option. We have given the owner and developer adequate opportunity to progress a scheme without recourse to legal action."

Pembrokeshire County Council is currently carrying out emergency works to provide temporary support to the porch roof serving the main entrance foyer at the hotel, said spokesman Anna Wilson.

Mr Fry was unavailable for comment.