TripAdvisor suspends reviews for 'majestic' hole in wall amid fake reviews

TripAdvisor has suspended reviews of a hole in a wall after it became an unlikely tourist attraction.

The circular hole outside the Ilkeston branch of Natwest has received more than 60 reviews, with one critic stating he could "easily compare it to the majestic wonder of Stonehenge or even the pyramids".

The hole has now become the fourth most popular attraction in the Derbyshire town amid a surge of reviews.

The tongue-in-cheek comments started appearing on the site in December, but the hole saw a surge in feedback over the weekend following media attention.

In a series of amusing reviews, people commented how they were "truly stunned by the craftsmanship that had gone into this piece of architecture", whilst others professed to have "travelled 200 miles with family to visit this landmark".

The website has suspended reviews of the hole after saying they do not represent first-hand visits. Credit: TripAdvisor

In a statement on ITV News, TripAdvisor said it had suspended reviews as they did not represent first-hand experiences.

Spokesperson Emma Shaw said: "The recent media attention caused an influx of review submissions that did not meet our guidelines"

She continued: "We took the decision to temporarily suspend hosting new reviews on its TripAdvisor listing page, and posted a notice on the site to inform travellers of this."

In 2018, TripAdvisor was forced to step in after a supermarket trolley tunnel in Cornish town of Bude became the number one tourist attraction there.

The tunnel was later given a colourful makeover by it's owner, Sainsburys.

The review site has previously been criticised by consumer body Which? for failing to do more to prevent fake reviews.