A HOTEL in Worcester has admitted employing children and failing to notify the relevant authorities after accidents at work.

The Pear Tree Inn and Country Hotel in Smite Hill, Hindlip, admitted five charges of employing children under the age of 16 without providing written notification to Worcestershire County Council.

The offences were committed during July, August and September 2007. They also admitted seven health and safety offences when they appeared at Worcester Magistrates Court yesterday.

All the offences, bar one, were committed in October 2007 when employees were involved in accidents and the hotel failed to notify Wychavon District Council about them.

One of the accidents, which happened on Saturday, May 12, 2007, left a female employee unconscious. The other accidents all caused the employees "incapacity."

The charges also related to failing to supply suitable supervision to staff while working in the main kitchen and failing to carry out suitable risk assessments.

When accidents occur in the workplace the employer must inform the relevant authority, in this case Wychavon District Council. They must do this within a specific time scale, depending on the nature of the accident.

The employer must also provide details of the accident, including when it happened, who was involved and the nature of it. For example whether it was a slip, trip or burn.

In all seven cases, some of which involved children, the council was not informed.

The case was adjourned until March for sentence.

The hotel offers bed and breakfast rooms and also holds business conferences and offers itself as a venue for weddings.

Last month it received no stars from Wychavon District Council's Scores on the Doors scheme, which rated food retailers on their food hygiene standards.