Pictures show demolition crews at Golden Eagle in Thornaby

Small excavator machines moved in on the roof and top floors of the six-storey eyesore in Thornaby last month as demolition of the building finally got underway. 

The Trenchard Avenue project has been years in the making, and was pushed back several times after damage was caused by break-ins and blazes. 

Last year it was revealed that asbestos had spread to all floors and as a result around 470 tonnes of asbestos had to be removed.

The Golden Eagle in Thornaby, which is being demolished (Image: PETER REIMANN)

Once the upper floors have been removed, the scaffolding will be removed and larger machinery will be brought in to demolish the ground and first floors.

New drone pictures show how floor removal on the hotel, which remains surrounded in scaffolding on its upper floors, is now underway. 

Piles of rubble can be seen on the roof beside the outer shell of what would have been supports for bedroom walls and the roof.

Meanwhile, work is also continuing nearby on a new £14m leisure facility connected to Thornaby Pavilion, featuring a five-lane swimming pool, gym, and a new 46-space car park.

The Golden Eagle in Thornaby, which is being demolished (Image: PETER REIMANN)

Late last year, all items in the building were branded as hazardous material after a new survey revealed asbestos had spread across all of the floors. 

It happened due to vandals removing copper piping, which was protected by asbestos-riddled panels, causing a water leak.

The £600,000 damage meant all items from the hotel, which is thought to have been built in 1969, had to be removed under controlled conditions. 

The Golden Eagle in Thornaby, which is being demolished (Image: PETER REIMANN)

The demolition is expected to finally be completed this Autumn, but it is not yet known what will become of the site when the rubble is cleared. 

In May, it was revealed that discussions were underway for two firms to move onto the land in the form of new drive-thrus.

Town centre owner LCP Proudreed submitted plans to build 204.4m² and 167.2m² units on the land along with 40 parking spaces and some green landscaping.

However, the bid was refused by Stockton Borough Council over crime and anti-social behaviour concerns and fears it would “diminish the town centre’s cohesion”.

The Eagle has been shuttered for several years and is understood to have been run as a pub on the ground floor until the mid to late 2010s. 

Before that, the site operated as a bar and hotel, the venue often hosted wedding receptions, birthday parties, and Christmas work parties over its decades-long run. 

The council took control of the hotel in October 2024.