A £200,000 hydro-electric turbine was switched on in Minster Lovell, near Witney, with the help of a Government minister.

Staff at The Old Swan & Minster Mill hotel, which sits alongside the River Windrush, claimed it was the first hotel in the country to use the technology.

They were joined by Minister for Environment and Science Lord de Mauley, who turned on the five-metre long Archimedes screw. It will have a peak output of 10kW and generate 48,000kwh each year.

Hotel owner Lana de Savary said: “We are delighted to be the first hotel in the country to invest in this technology.

“We continually look at every area of our business to become more considerate.”

Lord de Mauley added: “Developments like this are making an important contribution to decarbonising the UK’s energy mix.”

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