A MALTON hotel has closed suddenly.

The Mount, which had been owned and managed by Gunter Schwark and his wife Dagmar since 2011, shut its doors at the weekend.

A message posted on the hotel’s website said: “The Mount is closed now after a long time fight, we lost the case and give up the business.”

Mr and Mrs Schwark relocated from Leverkusen, in Germany, to buy The Mount after first seeing the property on the internet.

Originally built as a girls’ school in 1870, it closed at the beginning of the Second World War and afterwards became a guest house and eventually a hotel.

The Mount had been closed for more than 10 years when it was taken over by the Schwarks, who renovated it.

Roddy Bushell, estate manager for the Fitzwilliam Malton Estate, which owns the freehold of the Mount Hotel, said: “Since the beginning of June, Fitzwilliam Malton Estate has been aware that the Mount Hotel was being run by a trustee in bankruptcy. The action for bankruptcy was the result of action by other parties, not the Estate.

“On Friday the trustee in bankruptcy decided the hotel must close. We will work with the trustee towards finding a new owner for the business.”