Coventry hotel blaze started 'deliberately', fire service says

[dutchman]

Six crews were called to tackle the fire this afternoon



A fire at an empty hotel in Coventry is believed to have been started deliberately. West Midlands Fire Service has extinguished the blaze at Allesley Hotel in Birmingham Road which started just before 2pm today.

At the fire's height, six crews worked to get the fire under control. In addition to fire crews, West Midlands Police and West Midlands Air Ambulance Service also attended the scene.

The air ambulance was seen landing nearby before taking off shortly afterwards while firefighters fought the blaze. There has been no official confirmation of any injuries.

A WMFS spokesperson said: "Crews from Coventry and Birmingham have attended a deliberate fire at a void hotel in Allesley, Coventry. Initial crews arrived within 5 mins and took quick and assertive action to stop the spread of fire and prevent further damage to the building. Birmingham Road is now open."

Birmingham Road was closed as far down as The Rainbow Inn while crews tackled the blaze.

[dutchman]