A RETIRED air engineer got a shock when he tried to get through a York hotel's fire escape - and found himself in another guest's bathroom.

Ian Kirby, a former flight engineer for BOAC and British Airways, who worked on Concorde, was staying at the city's Marriott Hotel, on Tadcaster Road, over the weekend.

Mr Kirby, from Middlesex, said he was "quite amazed" when, following a fire alarm during the night, he broke through the nearest fire exit by breaking a glass cover and pulling a handle, and ended up in the bathroom of an adjoining suite.

He has now written to the hotel, and to North Yorkshire Fire Safety, to voice his concerns.

Mr Kirby said he was worried about the safety of the arrangement - but while it may seem unconventional, both the hotel and North Yorkshire fire safety inspectors insist that it is not dangerous. And the inspectors say many other hotels in York would have a similar system.

"In all my years as a member of an air crew, I haven't encountered anything like this," said Mr Kirby.

"I've seen so many fire alarms, and stood outside so many hotels at night during them, that I have taken to reading where my nearest fire exits are as soon as I arrive in my room.

"I was following those instructions when this happened.

"It is amusing, but it's also worrying. My fear would be that other people, like me, would think they had done the wrong thing, and go back out again, looking for another route.

"That was in good visibility; if the corridor had been smoke-filled, the delay and confusion could have been fatal."

No-one was in the bathroom at the time, although Mr Kirby says he could see the other room's guests in their bedroom, preparing to evacuate.

The fire alarm turned out to be false, and Mr Kirby was told it had been set off because another guest had left a steaming kettle close to a smoke detector.

The hotel's general manager, Chris Wilson, said: "The hotel has been vetted and sanctioned by the local fire authority.

"We are happy with our fire procedures."

He added that he was in contact with Mr Kirby to discuss his concerns, "in order that our customers are kept happy and informed".

As a result of Mr Kirby's complaint, two officers from York Fire Safety investigated the fire escape yesterday.

Trevor Lund, assistant divisional officer for York Fire Safety, said: "There is no great danger here; this is a designated escape route and, while it may inconvenience the users of the room concerned, the route is only designed to be used in cases of dire emergency.

"It is not ideal, and such a system would not be permitted in a modern building.

"But in a building of this hotel's age, it is the most practicable manner of ensuring people in that part of the hotel are not trapped.

"It's worth pointing out that a great many hotels in York have similar circumstances."

Updated: 11:37 Tuesday, August 21, 2001