STAFF and guests at the Bell House Hotel in Saxmundham were forced to wait outside for forty minutes after a fire was discovered in the building.

Crews from Saxmundham and Leiston were called to the High Street hotel to deal with the incident, which took place in a downstairs toilet.

Firefighters, arriving at the scene at 11.52pm last night used a hose and breathing apparatus to put out the fire.

Guests and staff were allowed to return to the premises at about 12.30am after the hotel had been ventilated.

The cause of the fire is not yet known.