Staff and guests forced to leave Pier House Hotel in Charlestown after 'distressing' fire

  • Watch a fire break out at Pier House Hotel (Credit: Laila-Jane Longhurst)

Staff and guests have had to be evacuated from the Pier House Hotel in Cornwall because of a 'distressing' fire.

The fire broke out on Friday 20 January at the Charlestown venue.

Laila-Jane Longhurst, who witnessed flames engulfing the hotel, said: "We're all devastated. We could hear the windows breaking and popping sounds.

"The flames were roof height. Very distressing . The poor staff who work there, they’re all amazing.

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"I hope they're relocated to other local sites until it reopens."

In a statement on Facebook, St Austell Brewery's Chief Executive Officer, Kevin Georgel, said: "We can confirm that a fire has broken out at the Pier House this evening.

"This is a live incident and Cornwall Fire and Rescue Service are currently on the scene.

"All staff and guests have been safely evacuated from the site and we’ll keep you updated as the situation develops further in the coming hours."