Twenty residents were evacuated from a bed and breakfast in Cornwall after a fire broke out this morning (18 August).

Smoke detectors alerted the guests to the fire and they evacuated the building with assistance from staff.

Fire crews from Padstow and Wadebridge were called out to the The Harlyn Inn at around 3.30am.

Firefighters used breathing apparatus and a hose reel to extinguish the flames.

The fire was restricted to one room but produced a significant amount of smoke.

West Country Ambulance attended the incident and a guest was treated for smoke inhalation but did not need to be taken to hospital.

Staff and guests were allowed back into the hotel two hours later, after firefighters had checked that the building was safe.

The fire is believed to have been accidental. 

Commercial buildings, non-domestic and multi-occupancy premises in England and Wales are already forced to undertake a 'suitable and sufficient' fire risk assessment carried out under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005.

While the overwhelming majority of premises do this, if the assessment is thought to have been carried out to an insufficient extent, the Responsible Person can face an unlimited fine or up to two years in prison.