Torquay: Firefighters tackle blaze in seafront hotel

Firefighters were called to the Sherwood Palm Hotel

Emergency services were called to a fire at a four-storey hotel in Torquay.

Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service confirmed the fire broke out at the Sherwood Palm Hotel at about 06:45 GMT.

Belgrave Road, along the Torquay seafront, was closed while crews dealt with the blaze, the fire service said.

The fire service said it was "unable to comment" on the cause of the fire yet, but Devon and Cornwall Police said no injuries were reported.

Incident Commander Alan Gilson said crime scene investigators from the police were assisting to ascertain the cause.

The blaze broke out in an extension of the building

He said: "We had about 14 breathing apparatus at one stage, and we managed to control, contain the fire and stop it progressing to the main body of the building.

"Some really hard and good work from all that attended this morning."

The fire service said the blaze involved the ground floor extension of the hotel.

It said it carried out a "room-by-room search" in the rest of the building to make sure there were no people inside.

Fire crews from Torquay, Paignton, Newton Abbot, and Totnes were deployed.