Guests forced to flee in dressing gowns as flames swept through upper stories of Harrogate hotel

The remains were found in the ruins of the staff living quarters on the fifth-floor of the Majestic Hotel in Harrogate where the fire is believed to have started in the early hours yesterday.

North Yorkshire Police could not confirm whether it was the staff member but the unnamed man was the only person unaccounted for after flames devastated the top two floors and severely damaged the grand dining area.

The upper floor was still smouldering some six hours after the alarm was raised with white smoke billowing from the charred roof as it was doused from above by firefighters.

The alarm was raised at 4.58am yesterday after an automatic alarm sounded at the four-star hotel set in 12 acres of gardens on Ripon Road in Harrogate.

More than a dozen passers-by also dialled 999 after spotting flames leaping from the top floor of the listed building, forcing guests to flee into the car park in their dressing gowns.

Flames spread to the fourth floor and 130 guests plus 25 members of staff were evacuated to the car park outside the hotel's leisure centre, then taken to the neighbouring Cairn Hotel.

Guest Phil Quinby, 61, a contact lens fitter from Beverley, was with his wife Kay, 52. He said: "We heard the fire alarm, jumped out of bed, managed to throw some clothes on and went outside.

"At first we assumed it was just a false alarm but as we were getting to the main exit we smelt a strange smell."

It was only as they were being taken across the road they saw the flames leaping from the top of the building.

Julian Harrison, from Wolverhampton, said: "A majority of people thought somebody had just set off the alarm with a cigar but on the way down, firemen were running up the stairs past us and we knew then it was something more serious."

Sixteen fire engines from North and West Yorkshire, and more than 60 fire fighters, battled the flames for seven hours, finally bringing the blaze under control at 1pm yesterday.

The evacuated guests were given tea and spare clothes in the Cairn Hotel before being escorted by police back into the less affected lower floors to retrieve belongings.

Supt Ken McIntosh, from North Yorkshire Police, said: "Sadly, we can confirm a body has been found on the fifth floor. Investigations are ongoing to confirm the individual's identity.

"We cannot confirm if the body is male or female and whether or not it is the member of staff who remained unaccounted for. We are keeping an open mind and our priority now is to be thorough with our investigations.

"We will not be in position to release their name until formal identity has been carried out. The area is still a crime scene although we think we can confine the crime scene to certain areas."

The missing male employee, one of 25 staff, was not due to report for work yesterday morning, so questions were being asked why he was on the premises.

John Foster, a North Yorkshire Fire Service Group Manager, based at Harrogate, said after controlling the fire, crews were still involved dampening down and ventilating the building.

Some areas were very unstable and unsafe due to the large amounts of water pumped in.

He continued: "There are six or seven rooms that have been directly affected by the fire on the fourth and fifth floors.

"The ballroom has also been damaged by water and significant renovation of the premises will be needed."

At one stage it was feared that the historic building could be totally destroyed.

"It was significant for us that we successfully managed to confine the fire to a particular area.

"Parts of the fifth floor are severely damaged and the grand dining area has been damaged by water pouring through the building, " he added.

"The fire crews had extreme difficulty gaining access to the seat of the fire due to the nature of the building's structure. They are working at height and there are many small corridors which make access difficult."

An investigation into the cause of the blaze is expected to take days. It was too early to say if there were any suspicious circumstances, police said.

Victorian splendour that owes origins to miserly tycoon's row over hotel bill

The Majestic Hotel was built in 1900 and was almost destroyed by fire in 1924.

It has a long history in Harrogate and was a popular choice for Victorian society who came to take the waters and bathe.

The hotel was the brainchild of Sir John Blundell Maple, a furnishing store owner who became one of Victorian England's most successful entrepreneurs.

He was a politician, race horse breeder and a member of the Prince of Wales's set, while his emporium in London's Tottenham Court Road furnished Victorian society.

But he was as tight-fisted as he was fabulously wealthy. After a row with the management of The Queen Hotel in Harrogate about their prices, he stormed out vowing to build a hotel to put the Queen out of business, which was how the Majestic was born.

The Majestic suffered bomb damage during the Second World War.

Famous guests have included Winston Churchill and Edward Elgar.

The present building is still steeped in the Victorian ambience with gleaming chandeliers, lavishly furnished rooms, and marble columns. The gents toilets are so spacious they feature potted plants and a settee.