A fire broke out in a second floor bedroom at a seafront hotel in Folkestone this morning.

Firefighters from Folkestone, Hythe and Ashford donned breathing apparatus and used hose reels and a vehicle with an extra long ladder to tackle the flames at the Grand Burstin Hotel in The Harbour, off Marine Parade.

Crews were called just after 7am and spent more than an hour putting out the flames.

Staff had already evacuated the hotel when firefighters arrived.

A Kent Fire and Rescue Service spokesman said: "It was a small fire in a bedroom on the second floor. There was a lot of smoke damage to the room.

"The hotel was evacuated by the staff in a most professional manner."

Three fire engines from Folkestone, one from Hythe and an aerial appliance from Ashford were called to the hotel.

The Grand Burstin is part of the Britannia Hotels chain.

It has 550 bedrooms, a restaurant, gym and swimming pool.

In August 2009, 880 people were evacuated from the Grand Burstin when another fire broke out, also in a second floor bedroom.

That blaze was caused by a tea light left on top of a television and 10 rooms were damaged by smoke.

Staff and guests were back in the hotel by 8.45am today but no one from the company was available for comment.