Guests evacuated to safety as country hotel hit by blaze

Residents and staff were led to safety from Crathorne Hall Hotel in Yarm, after the fire broke out at around 10am yesterday at the four-star hotel which overlooks the Leven Valley on the edge of the North York Moors.

A spokeswoman for Hand Picked Hotels, which owns Crathorne Hall Hotel, said: “The fire broke out in a wing of the hotel and has been confined there.

“No-one was hurt and all the staff and guests have been evacuated.”

North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue service said that twelve appliances had been called to the incident with Cleveland Fire Brigade sending four appliances to the hotel.

A spokesperson for the North Yorkshire fire brigade said: “We had a report of smoke coming from the roof space and dispatched a crew to investigate.”

Northumbrian Water has advised people in the area that they may experience discoloured supply.

The Yorkshire Post understands Hand Picked Hotels, a boutique hotel chain, is run by Julia Hands, the wife of private equity tycoon Guy Hands.