Guests shivered on the pavement in pyjamas after their Worthing hotel caught fire early today.

The dozen occupants of the Garendon Hotel, Navarino Road, were evacuated when flames ripped through a bedroom at 5.30am.

A fire investigation team were at the hotel today but the blaze is believed to have been caused by an electrical fault.

Four fire crews from Worthing arrived to discover flames had engulfed one room on the ground floor and burnt through the ceiling into a bedroom and bathroom above.

Staff had evacuated guests before firefighters arrived.

Sub Officer Colin Bird said: "When we arrived there were about 12 guests standing outside in their pyjamas and various states of undress.

"Some didn't have shoes and socks and some had managed to throw a pair of jeans on. They'd obviously grabbed what they could of their clothes before making a dash for it.

"The fire caused a lot of damage. The bedroom on the ground floor was completely gutted and smoke had damaged the rooms around it."

The hotel's management declined to comment.