A restaurant has issued a statement after a 47-year-old was tragically found dead inside a disabled toilet cubicle on November 30 last year. Sabrina Lyttle had entered the Gurkha Buffet Restaurant, Hotel and Bar, in Blackpool, to use the facilities, on November 28.
Addressing the ‘speculations’ surrounding the incident, a spokesperson for the restaurant said: “On Thursday 28th November 2024 at 8.34pm, a non-customer member of the public entered the premises and asked to use the toilets. As the restaurant had already closed for the evening, directions to the pub toilets, which are in a separate area of the building, were given. Staff in the pub provided further directions to the general pub toilets and did not issue access to the disabled toilet.
“Access to the separate and locked disabled toilet is gained via staff as the facility cannot be opened with a RADAR key. The male and female toilets are deep-cleaned every morning and checked throughout the day, with the disabled toilet checked after every authorised use and cleaned as required, due to infrequent use.
“Access to the disabled toilet was not requested until Friday evening at around 10pm. The staff with the assistance of other helpful pub customers were unable to unlock the door and as access had not been granted for the past 24 hours, it was reported as a maintenance issue to management.
“The following day on Saturday before opening, management was unable to gain access using all secure keys and removing the locking mechanism before alerting the police. We are aware of public posts that are full of information that is not correct, and we believe the speculations have not contributed positively to anyone affected, including the grieving family, the dedicated Gurkha staff and the community of Blackpool. We are aware of an ongoing inquest and will not be making any further public comments.”
The Gurkha restaurant
(Image: Jason Roberts/LancsLive)
Lancashire Police has stated that it does not suspect any foul play regarding Sabrina Lyttle’s death, reports the Mirror. An inquest is set to be held at Blackpool Town Hall at about 10am on April 3. Sabrina’s mum, Christine, 68, previously said customers had reported not being able to access one of the cubicles in the days before her daughter was found.
A spokesman for Lancashire Constabulary previously said: “We were called at shortly after 1pm on Saturday, November 30, to a report of a sudden death at an address on Waterloo Road in Blackpool. Officers attended and sadly the body of a woman in her 40s was found dead inside the address. Our thoughts are with her loved ones at this time. The death is not being treated as suspicious and a file will be prepared for the coroner.”
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