Croydon's aviation history is under threat after a boutique hotel chain bought out the Aerodrome hotel and plans to change its name.

Hallmark Hotels bought the hotel earlier this month and is planning a £2m refurbishment of the historic Croydon building including changing its name to Hallmark Croydon.

Hallmark is part of the Palestine Private Equity group which has been buying up “under performing” hotels since 2007.

The Aerodrome Hotel was built in 1928, more than 13 years after the Croydon Airport was built.

Famous customers have included King George VI, Douglas Fairbanks and Charlie Chaplin.

In 1939, after the outbreak of WWII, the hotel and the airport were taken over by the military.

During the Battle of Britain it was used as a staging point for fighter defence and was one of the first major military victims of London's first German bombings.

Historian, Brian Roote said that once the Aerodrome's name is changed, Croydon will lose a huge part of it's heritage.

Mr Roote said: “I don't like it because the Aerodrome has been a part of Croydon for several years. I used to go to the airport as a boy to watch the planes take off.”