GUESTS using a hotel swimming pool had to be evacuated after part of the roof collapsed and fell into the water.

At least 10 people were told to get out of the pool when part of the ceiling fell through at the Brighton Hilton Metropole on Sunday evening.

Nobody was injured but one swimmer told The Argus he believes he was just inches away from being killed.

Tristan Hall, 29, said: "I just pushed off the steps into the shallow end. There were children playing just feet away.

"I heard a big scream and then a big bang sound and a crash.

"There was a massive gaping hole above and two concrete blocks at the bottom of the pool.

"It missed me by just a couple of inches. It landed at my feet.

"It would have absolutely killed me."

Mr Hall, who is from London but was using the pool with his friend who lives in nearby Sudeley Street, said there were at least 10 people in the water when the ceiling came down - including half a dozen children.

He added: "The staff were really professional.

"They got everyone out and got it secured as quickly as possible."

The swimming pool remains closed to the public while the hotel investigates the cause.

Duty manager of the Metropole, George Torre, confirmed a piece of the swimming pool roof collapsed at around 6pm.

He said: "We had an incident with the ceiling in the pool. We are trying to investigate how it came to happen.

"The whole pool is now closed."

He added: "Around 10 people were in the pool at the time.

"Nobody was hurt or injured."

Mr Torre said the piece of ceiling which collapsed was roughly two metre square in size.

The collapse comes as the pool at the King Alfred leisure centre in Hove has just reopened after the roof required repairs following storm damage.

It also comes just a day after the swimming pool at an exclusive health club in London owned by the former by the former Dragons’ Den star Duncan Bannatyne also collapsed.

* Were you in the pool at the Brighton Hilton Metropole when the collapse happened? Call 01273 544512 or email news@theargus.co.uk