The manager at the Westcliff Hotel where more than 35 people had to be evacuated in the middle of the night following a small fire has spoken of the drama.
Police and firefighters rushed to the hotel in Westcliff Parade during the early hours of Friday after a blaze broke out in a cupboard.
They found guests at the building huddled in the street.
Roberto Ross, manager at the Westcliff Hotel who put out the fire, said: "It is good that our fire alarm worked and everyone got out okay. We have lost a bit of linen but there is not much damage apart from that.
"There has been no proof that the fire was started deliberately. It was right next to a plug socket so it could have been something electrical, or anything really."
It is believed the fire had started in a linen cupboard, but automatic fire alarms had been triggered and the guests were automatically evacuated without any injuries.
Published Monday, January 13, 2003
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