THE owners of hotel buildings considered "an eyesore" on the landscape could be hauled before the courts if they fail to co-operate with a project to help clean up a Cornish resort's image.

A shortlist of 19 sites in Newquay have been identified by Cornwall Council enforcement officers as being in need of maintenance or repairs.

All 19 sites are described as "far from pleasing" by council officers, who have now asked those responsible for each site to improve the appearances of the buildings – or face court action.

Under the Town and Country Planning Act 1990, the council could force building owners into action.

In some cases, they could be brought before a magistrates' court and prosecuted, incurring a fine or imprisonment.

Some sites, such as the now-empty Cedars Hotel, have received warning letters asking for broken windows to be repaired or boarded up.

Others, including the Beachtrip Hotel, are earmarked for planning permission or demolition, and are being "monitored" to ensure graffiti and minor vandalism do not blight the building.

Another to be monitored is the Penhallow, which was burned to the ground when fire tore through the building in 2007. The site is described as "securely boarded" and so no action will be taken unless it further falls into an unacceptable state.

Cornwall councillor Geoff Brown, who has lived in the town most of his life, said the call for action could provide a boost for Newquay's tourist economy.

He added: "Ultimately, this could benefit the town.

"Anything which improves the visual aspect of Newquay is a good thing.

"We have had a number of properties bought by developers in the last three years with the view to do them up.

"But the credit crunch has left a few properties empty or undeveloped because some of the companies have gone bust.

"Some have been bordered up, which is fine, as long as they look tidy.

"Others have started to look as though they might come down on their own, so we have taken this action.

"I have some sympathy for developers who have been caught between a rock and a hard place since the recession.

"But some of them are eyesores and don't give a good impression of the town."

This is the latest project designed to help clean up Newquay's image, after a summer blighted by tragedy and protests.

Residents marched outside Cornwall Council premises calling for action after the deaths of 16-year-old Paddy Higgins and 18-year-old Andrew Curwell, who fell to their deaths after nights out in the town.

However, while the Newquay Safe campaign is focusing on clamping down on under-age drinkers, councillors are also keen to improve the visual appearance of the resort.