08 Feb 2013
A fire at a hotel forced around 70 guests to be evacuated in the early hours of yesterday morning.
Fire crews were called to tackle a blaze in the basement of the Mercure Elcot Park Hotel in Newbury, Berkshire at 3.30am.
Firefighters from stations in Hungerford and Reading joined officers from Newbury to form a team of around 20 to fight the fire, which was eventually dampened down by 2pm.
High pressure fans were used to contain the smoke. The Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service has launched an investigation into the fire that started in an area which contained paper products.
The hotel said 57 of the 73 rooms were occupied, with around 70 people having to be escorted out.
The guests were allowed back into the dining room at 7.30am. A spokeswoman for the hotel, Tanya Daniel, said the comfort of the guests was the staff’s main priority and they would be working hard to return the premises to “operational standard” as soon as possible.
Copyright Press Association 2013