Suffolk firefighters were among 30 that tackled a huge fire at an historic hotel.

Two crews from Newmarket joined firefighters from across Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire at the blaze this morning at the University Arms Hotel in Regent Street, Cambridge.

Almost 150 guests had to be evacuated after the fire completely engulfed the hotel’s top floor.

In total, 30 firefighters - who tackled the fire in teams of six at any one time - used breathing apparatus, a water tower, one jet, two hoses, positive pressure ventilation fans, three hydrants and thermal imaging cameras to extinguish the fire. A full fire investigation is underway into the cause.

East Cambridgeshire fire protection manager Brenan Morgan said: “This is a timely reminder for people running hotels in the area to make sure they have an evacuation policy in place and the fire alarm systems are working.

“Hotel staff did a professional job at evacuating the property and have worked extremely well with the fire service during this incident.”

The four-star University Arms Hotel dates back to the early 1800s.