Gateway to Wales Hotel fire sees fire crews battle huge blaze in Deeside

Dramatic footage posted on Facebook showed the roof of the Gateway To Wales Hotel in Deeside, North Wales, engulfed in flames after the blaze took hold in the early hours of this morning.

The hotel, understood to have around 40 rooms, appears to have been burnt to a shell, according to one witness.

Danny Lawton, who lives in new flats next to the hotel with his girlfriend and baby, said he was woken up by police banging on his door just before 5am.

The 24-year-old machine operator said: "We grabbed the baby and her stuff and headed downstairs, and the car park was already full of people. The heat coming off the fire was immense.

"The whole roof and top floor was on fire and the surrounding area was just full of smoke and flashing blue lights. There was a dozen or more fire trucks and police cars.