A WOMAN had a lucky escape when part of a derelict York hotel came crashing down on the pavement behind her.

A piece of wood and plaster fascia, about 1.5 metres long, fell off the front of the White Swan Hotel in Piccadilly when office worker Deborah Mapperley was walking to work at 8am today.

Deborah, from Osbaldwick, was nearly hit by the falling fascia, which made a loud crash behind her and brought people out from nearby shops and businesses to see what had happened.

She said: "I was walking past the White Swan Hotel when I heard a rumbling noise. Then there was a loud bang.

"When I turned around, I saw a large piece of wood and plaster had collapsed into the street, only inches away from me.

"A passer-by said 'Just another couple of inches and it would have hit you'.

"I could have been seriously hurt."

The White Swan has been derelict for over a decade, and in 2003 it was turned in to a commune-cum-arts centre by a 30-strong group of squatters who renamed it the Rainbow Peace Hotel.

A spokeswoman for City of York Council said they had been out to the hotel after a call from a member of the public to ensure it is safe for people walking past.

She said: "We found a couple pieces of plywood fascia had come down which had been propped up against the side of the building. The rest of the building has been checked to ensure it is safe and no more is going to come down.

"We are at the moment trying to contact the owner to make them aware of the situation so they can come and remove the pieces and check to make sure it is safe."

Updated: 14:28 Wednesday, August 18, 2004