Hundreds evacuated and three rescued as blaze hits west London hotel

Hundreds of people were evacuated from a London hotel after fire broke out on Friday night trapping three men who were left needing hospital treatment.

Scores of firefighters were scrambled to tackle the blaze at the hotel in Bayswater, west London, which had started in the building's basement.

London Fire Brigade (LFB) said it was called to the five-storey hotel in Princes Square at 11.06pm.

A total of 58 firefighters in eight fire engines were despatched to clear the building and tackle the blaze before it spread to surrounding properties.

A spokesman said 200 people had left the hotel before crews arrived, although three adult males needed rescuing from the first and second floors by firefighters wearing breathing equipment.

The men were taken to hospital by ambulance for treatment for smoke inhalation and their condition is currently unknown.

Crews from Paddington, North Kensington, Soho, Hammersmith and West Hampstead fire stations used an aerial ladder platform as an observation tower to monitor the firefighting operation.

The blaze was brought under control by around 1.56am on Saturday LFB said.

Speaking at the hotel, station manager Charlie Hanks said: "Our crews worked hard to confine the fire to the basement and to stop it from spreading to the upper floors of the hotel.

"Firefighters rescued three people and carried out a systematic search of the building to make sure no-one else was inside."

An LFB spokesman said the cause of the fire is under investigation.