Hotel closed after fire sparks overnight evacuation

Eight fire crews were on the scene

More than 100 guests had to leave a hotel after fire broke out overnight.

Warwickshire Fire and Rescue service said it was called to The Crowne Plaza in Stratford-upon-Avon at about 23:50 BST on Monday.

Eight crews were dispatched and found heavy smoke coming from the hotel.

The scale of the operation has since been scaled down but the venue remains closed.

Due to the size of the hotel and its location, a full sweep of the building was undertaken to ensure the fire had not spread to other floors, the fire service said.

Officers used specialist equipment to ventilate each floor due to heavy smoke throughout.

A fire service post on X at about 02:00 BST confirmed the hotel had been evacuated.

A later post added: "This incident has now been scaled back. One appliance from Gaydon and the on-call appliance from Bidford will remain in attendance."

Displaced Crowne Plaza guests were seen in nearby hotels while the incident was happening and the BBC understands parent chain IHG is working with customers to rearrange bookings.

James Harrison, who lives in the area, said he saw smoke coming from the side of the building when he drove past just after midnight.

The security worker explained that he returned throughout the night and the operation had scaled down by about 04:00 BST.

"[It] looked as if the fire service were accompanying people to get their belongings," Mr Harrison said.

Forty firefighters

Warwickshire Fire and Rescue Service said there were 40 firefighters involved at the height of the incident.

“Firefighters and incident commanders worked tirelessly through the night to contain and extinguish the fire with a continued presence to damp down hotspots and maintain safety," the service reported.

A spokesperson for IHG said: "The safety of our guests and colleagues is our highest priority.

"All guests and colleagues were evacuated and we are supporting the emergency services."