Kent Police and Kent Fire and Rescue Service are treating a severe fire at the Grand Burstin Hotel in Folkestone as suspicious, with investigators believing it was started deliberately.

Officers have appealed for witnesses to come forward following the blaze, which broke out in the basement of the seafront hotel in the early hours of Saturday and forced about 280 people to evacuate.

Kent Fire and Rescue Service sent a total of 26 fire engines to the scene after being called at around 01:05 BST. Operations continued into Saturday evening, with three fire engines and a height vehicle remaining overnight to extinguish hotspots.

Station manager Lawrence Pater described the fire as "very severe" and confirmed the service is seeking advice from building inspectors due to concerns regarding the hotel's structural integrity.

Paramedics from the South East Coast Ambulance Service assessed several people at the scene, and one person was taken to hospital with minor injuries.

Ross Honeycomb, 39, who was staying at the hotel with his family, said they woke to alarms shortly after 01:00 BST and saw smoke billowing from the underground car park before hearing what sounded like explosions. Another guest, Bill Owen, described the heat coming from the car park area as "incredible".

Folkestone & Hythe District Council established a welfare centre for displaced guests at the Three Hills Sports Park, while local residents were advised to keep doors and windows closed and avoid the area.

A spokesperson for Britannia Hotels Group, which operates the Grand Burstin, said the company is taking immediate action to ensure the safety of guests and staff and is fully cooperating with the emergency services.

I will continue to monitor the investigation as police pursue their inquiries into the cause of the fire and engineers evaluate the structure.