A HOTEL guest's "over-exuberant use of body spray" was blamed for a false alarm which caused the evacuation of about 100 people at a hotel today.

All the guests and staff at the Travelodge, in Piccadilly, York, fled after spray deodorant set off the smoke detectors.

Three fire engines were despatched. A spokesman for North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service said: "The detectors are low down in these modern hotels and the smoke detectors pick it up and think it's smoke."

A spokesman for Travelodge said: "This is the first time we've come across this problem. It's better to be safe than sorry."

Updated: 12:32 Saturday, April 21, 2001