Fire breaks out at hotel close to Gatwick Airport

A hotel at Gatwick airport has been evacuated after a major fire broke out this afternoon.

Flames took hold on the upper floors on the Ibis Hotel, sending clouds of thick grey smoke billowing from the building.Firefighters from West Sussex Fire and Rescue Service were sent to the hotel after the fire was spotted at a few minutes before 3pm.

It was not yet known if the hotel was holding visitors who are part of the Government's Covid-19 hotel quarantine scheme.

Reports from the scene said that there were at least 10 fire engines were involved in battling the flames as smoke billowed from the multi-storey hotel, just minutes away from Gatwick Airport which normally handles over 46 million passengers every year.

A spokesman for the Surrey Fire and Rescue Service said: "We have sent four fire engines, with the first arriving at the scene around 3pm. A fire had broken out on the 5th floor of the hotel. Crews remain at the scene tackling the fire.""The building has been safely evacuated and we would urge people to avoid the area to allow crews to work safely."