LIVERPOOL’S world-famous Adelphi Hotel admitted breaching health and safety rules after a man drowned in its swimming pool.

Student Madhav Cherukuri, 25, was found dead at the bottom of the pool in the hotel’s Spindles health club in 2006.

An inquest into his death heard he drowned while the lifeguard was in another room.

In the wake of Mr Cherukuri’s death, the hotel was charged with breaking health and safety at work laws.

At Liverpool Crown Court yesterday, Britannia Adelphi Hotel Ltd pleaded guilty to a single charge of failing to conduct an undertaking to ensure, so far as was reasonably practicable, Mr Cherukuri was not exposed to risk while using the health and leisure club’s pool.

Bosses at the Ranelagh Place institution admitted breaching health and safety legislation by failing to ensure systems were in place to protect Mr Cherukuri.

The Indian student died after borrowing a member’s Spindles pass and going for a swim at about 9.30am on August 30, 2006.

Reports at the time suggested he was lying at the bottom of the pool for up to 20 minutes before being found, when a pool attendant prodded him with a net handle.

Two nurses – who were Spindles members – tried to save him with mouth-to-mouth resuscitation, but he died just four days after his 25th birthday.

Environmental health officers investigated safety measures at the hotel and Spindles was temporarily closed by management.

Lawyers representing the Adelphi appeared in court yesterday and the hotel admitted its guilt.