GUESTS and staff were evacuated from one of East Lancashire's best known hotels last night after a fire broke out in the kitchen.

Fire crews in three appliances were sent from Padiham and Burnley to the Higher Trapp Hotel, Trapp Lane, Simonstone, at about 8pm.

The fire is believed to have started in ventilation equipment in the kitchen, and quickly spread upwards. Nobody was injured in the blaze, which also left a number of bedrooms smoke damaged.

Last night a number of guests were transferred to neighbouring hotels, and one fire officer praised the hotel staff for their quick actions.

Watch Manager Bob Marsden, of Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service, said: "They evacuated everybody and went through the procedure 100 per cent correctly. Everybody was accounted for.

"It could have been much worse. If we had been called a bit later it would have been a different ball game."

Fire crews spent about 45 minutes fighting the worst of the blaze, and left the scene at about 11pm after damping down.

A spokesman for the Lakeside Collection Group, owners of the hotel, said: "One of our kitchens had a small fire and there is some smoke damage to some bedrooms.

"Apparently the fire was started in a ventilation duct which we have regularly inspected by a sub contractor and is regularly cleaned. We are waiting for reports from the fire service.

"We gave everybody refreshments and food when we could get into parts of the building which was after about half an hour.

"We don't envisage there will be much disruption to the running of the hotel and it's business as usual. We will be using the other kitchen instead while the kitchen where the fire was is being totally refurbished."