WESTERN BUREAU:

Workers at the Riu Montego Bay cite in St James began demolition of the controversial fourth floor of the hotel under construction yesterday.

This was in accordance with a recent stop order issued by the St James Parish Council, instructing the resort developers to dismantle the fourth floor, which the council said was in breach of its building code.

The demolition exercise is expected to resume today.

The site was ordered closed on the intervention of Prime Minister Bruce Golding, who said the resort breached the law by constructing a fourth floor for which it had no permit from the St James Parish Council.

The Riu Group has, however, denied the claims, arguing it had submitted its revised plan, containing the four-storey building, in April last year.