Firefighters called after smoke seen in hotel lift

Regent Street in Cambridge city centre was closed for part of Thursday afternoon

Firefighters rushed to a city centre hotel after smoke was seen following an electrical fault.

The University Arms Hotel on Regent Street, Cambridge, told the BBC a problem with the electrics in a lift created the smoke.

It said there was no damage to the building and there were no injuries.

Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service sent 30 firefighters to the scene at 12:35 BST.

A spokesperson for the University Arms Hotel said: "University Arms hotel experienced an incident at the hotel earlier today.

"The cause of the alert was a fault in the staff service lift which triggered a full evacuation of the property.

"The fire brigade were called immediately to the scene to ensure the safety of guests and staff. The hotel and guests have been unaffected by this, nobody was injured – although the two hotel staff who first inspected the alarm were checked by ambulance teams.

"The hotel is now open again and fully functional."

Regent Street has reopened after being closed for part of the afternoon.

The fire service said appliances from Cambridge, Cottenham, Ely, Huntingdon and Suffolk attended.

The cause of the fire was "accidental", it said.

In 2013, about 150 guests had to be evacuated from the hotel after a blaze broke out on the top floor. It was caused by a faulty air conditioning unit.

In 2013, a fire broke out on the top floor of the University Arms Hotel