Fire engulfs 400-year-old hotel ‘housing Ukrainian refugees’ in UK

Fire has engulfed several buildings Midhurst, West Sussex, overnight, including a 400-year-old hotel that was housing Ukrainian refugees (Hilton Holloway/PA)

A 400-year-old hotel that was said to be housing Ukrainian refugees was among buildings engulfed by a fire in Midhurst, West Sussex.

The fire was thought to have broken out shortly after 1am on Thursday at a property on North Street before spreading to the roof of the Angel Inn next door.

Local resident Hilton Holloway, who witnessed the fire, told the PA news agency around 30 people, including some children, were evacuated from the hotel.

Fire engulfed several buildings on North Street in Midhurst, West Sussex in the early hours of Thursday morning (Hilton Holloway/PA)

“There were a number of Ukrainian refugees in the hotel, which had around 15 rooms,” he said.

“I spoke to one young woman who seemed relatively calm.”

Photos and video taken by Mr Holloway, who lives opposite the hotel, showed the spread of the fire from an adjoining building to the roof of the Angel Inn.

The fire was thought to have broken out shortly after 1am on Thursday in a property on North Street before spreading to the roof of the Angel Inn next door (Hilton Holloway/PA)

West Sussex Fire and Rescue Services called the fire “significant”. Ten fire engines, an aerial ladder platform, water carrier and off-road vehicle responded to the incident.

Sussex Police, which sent officers to the scene, warned road closures would be in place in the local area.

No casualties have been reported.