TWENTY guests including a bride and groom were evacuated from a hotel after a fire on the night before their wedding,

East Sussex Fire and Rescue were called to the George in Rye Hotel just after 4.30am on Saturday.

Due to the age and construction of the Georgian building ,the fire quickly spread through hidden cavities and took hold in the roof.

Crews evacuated the wedding party from the 46 guest rooms - and salvaged as much property as possible - including the bride’s dress.

Eigh fire engines were needed to get the fire under control and two remained on scene on Saturday evening to continue damping down the building.

Building control officers will need to assess the stability of the building.

Incident commander Dan Channon said; “This was a challenging incident due to the complex nature of this old building in a confined part of the town.”

“Crews had to work extremely hard in arduous conditions, using breathing apparatus, to bring the fire under control and prevent it from spreading to other properties.”

The cause of the fire will be the subject of a fire investigation.