GUESTS staying at the Angel Hotel, in Bury St Edmunds, had to be evacuated from the building early this morning after a fire alert.

The automatic alarms on the premises, on Angel Hill, went off at 7.10am and two fire crews from the town were sent to the hotel.

There was a strong smell of smoke reported with the fire thought to be coming from the first floor laundry room, said a spokesman for the Suffolk Fire and Rescue Service.

The storage area and roof of the building was inspected but nothing was found and guests, who had taken refuge in the Athenaeum, were then allowed to return to their rooms, at 8.45am.

One couple staying at the hotel said staff had been “wonderful” and there was no fuss or panic.

“They couldn’t have done more for us and it was just one of those things,” said another guest.

A spokeswoman for the hotel confirmed that guests had to be evacuated and praised the fire service for their prompt reaction.

“The guests were very understanding while people at the Athenaeum were very accommodating. I’m confident we handled the situation in the right way and the staff were brilliant.”