'One minute I was in the shower...and the next I was outside the burning hotel'

Stunned residents were last night trying to find alternative accommodation, while workers were waiting to hear what their future now holds.

Carpenter Sheamus O'Runnui , staying at the Royal Albion while working on construction behind the Sea Life Centre, said: "At about 7.30am we were told to evacuate the building - I only had time to dress.

"All my tools and personal belongings are in there. What I am supposed to do if there are all damaged? They are things that can't be replaced."

Other guests have thanked staff for their caring attitude after the blaze.

Many were caught in the shower when they heard the alarm, which went off at around 8am.

Staff rallied round shivering residents as some stood in their nightclothes.

June Smith panicked when she heard the warning sound and fled from her bathroom in only a thin nightie.

She said: "It all happened so quickly. One minute I was in the shower and the next minute I was standing outside the burning hotel.

"It was absolutely freezing and I had nothing on my feet so my toes were going numb. One of the cleaning staff rushed over and gave me some overalls and a builder who was working at the hotel lent me a spare pair of his trainers.

"Another guest lent me some socks and a jacket and although I looked rather peculiar at least I was warm."

Her friend Valerie Smith followed June out of the burning building wearing just a coat.

She said: "I had bare feet so I went into a nearby cobblers and they lent me some spare shoes. They were far too big for me but I didn't mind, at least my feet were warm."

Valerie and June had a room on the third floor, but swapped their room to the first floor only the night before.

Valerie said: "If we had stuck with our original room everything would have definitely been burned. But at least we have some chance of rescuing something from our room."

Gary James, 37, from Plymouth said: "I'm standing here with absolutely nothing - no money, no train tickets or any clothes to change into.

"I am devastated to lose everything but at least I've got a home and family to go to. I can't imagine how awful it would be to lose your entire house and its contents. I'm lucky to just lose a couple of bags full."

Jim McLeish, 55, from Portsmouth, said: "My family couldn't believe it when I told them. Hotel fires are always the sort of things that happen to everyone else but this time it's me.

"I do feel quite shaky. It's been a traumatic experience but we've been well looked after by all the staff."

Ian Fraser, from Plymouth said: "It's a terrible shock to wake up and smell smoke and hear the fire alarms.

"It's hard to believe it is all happening. I've never seen a blaze like this in all my life. Thankfully everyone got out alive and no one has been hurt.

"All my clothes stink of smoke and my eyes are a bit sore too but I'm still here to tell the tale, that's the main thing."

Tearful workers at the Royal Albion Hotel could hardly believe what had happened.

Barman Jonathan Rickard, 21, said: "I left home early so I could come into work to do a stock check.

"I live next door to Roedean fire station and I noticed there were no engines there, which I thought strange.

"As I walked down St James's Street I saw smoke billowing over the rooftops.

"When I reached the hotel I saw flames coming from the rook and I just broke down in tears.

"It is a beautiful hotel and I couldn't believe it was going up in smoke."

Leonie Hudson, in charge of conference and banqueting, said: "Although many of the staff are very upset and shaken they are determined to carry on regardless and make sure their jobs are done.

"It's been a terrible day for everyone and I only hope we can pull together to make it a little bit better."

Workers from the Royal Albion met at the Thistle Hotel last night to talk about their future.

Bar supervisor Dave Smith said: "It's my day off today but my girlfriend woke me up with the news.

"I rushed here straight away to find out if I still had a job to go to, but when I saw the burnt-out hotel I knew I probably didn't."

Staff waited for news of their jobs with looks of disbelief on their faces.

And duty manager Marc France could do little to relieve their worries.

He said: "I've taken all their phone numbers and I will contact them with any news I have. We don't have much information ourselves, so it's hard to give anyone else any."

Dave said: "We're all really worried. I was relying on my wages to buy my family Christmas presents, and other people need the money to pay rent.

"I think we'll all be looking for new jobs tomorrow. It will be a tough couple of weeks."

Guests sat in the foyer of the Thistle Hotel with ash-smudged faces and smoke-filled clothes waiting to be found other accommodation.

Staff from the Royal Albion furiously phoned round other seafront hotels, The Metropole, The Grand and The Bedford to find the evacuees a room for the night.

Most guests were delegates from a Public and Commercial Service Union conference being held at the Brighton Centre.

Rose Willis, an union officer said: "We have money for delegates left penniless by the fire and a doctor is replacing medication.

"Obviously everyone is shocked and upset at losing all their belongings, but we hope some first floor residents can return to the hotel tomorrow to salvage items not damaged by the smoke or fire."

Staff from all departments helped the catering workers at the Thistle Hotel serve lunch to delegates attending the civil servant's conference at the Brighton Centre.

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