A DEVASTATING fire in a historic North Yorkshire hotel left one man dead and saw more than 100 guests evacuated.

About 90 firefighters battled flames at The Majestic, in Harrogate, early yesterday.

It is one of the town’s largest and best-known hotels, but was last night being treated as a crime scene as police and fire officers investigated the cause of the blaze, which broke out at about 5am.

North Yorkshire Police announced yesterday afternoon that a body had been located in the staff quarters. Though the dead person has not been identified, police said a hotel kitchen port, Nigel Butterfield, 41, remained unaccounted for.

Superintendent Ken McIntosh, Harrogate area commander, said: “I can sadly confirm police and firefighters have found a body on the fifth floor. I cannot confirm the identification or say whether it is male or female.”

The fire started on the fifth floor of the imposing red-brick hotel shortly before 5am and spread to the floor below. A huge evacuation was immediately begun and all 132 guests, many in just their night clothes, were moved to the nearby Cairn Hotel.

Guest Andrew Proudlove, from Manchester, said: “The fire alarm went off and I stuck my head out of the door and I heard staff telling us to get out as quickly as possible.

“A lot of people were shivering – it was very cold especially for the elderly people who were just in their night clothes.”

Firefighters from North and West Yorkshire fought for ten hours to bring the blaze under control as onlookers watched flames and thick smoke billow from the top floors of the building.

Group manager Jonathan Foster, of North Yorkshire Fire & Rescue Service, said: “It’s been an extremely difficult fire to deal with.

“Access to the seat of the fire was extremely difficult and that is why it took so long to get under control. We have had to remove part of the roof.”

He said a significant number of rooms had also been damaged by water, including the hotel’s ballroom.”

Yesterday afternoon a small number of guests were allowed back into building under police escort to retrieve belongings. The police investigation into the fire is expected to last for a number of days.

It is not known when the historic 19th century hotel will open again.

The Majestic is run by Barceló Hotels and Resorts and is described on its website as an “elegant luxury hotel”.