Gas scare after hotel body found

Firefighters ventilated the hotel and shut the heating system down

Police are investigating whether a man who died at a Cornwall hotel suffered carbon monoxide poisoning.

Five people were also taken to hospital after the Great Western Hotel in Newquay was evacuated because of high levels of the gas.

An ambulance had been called to the hotel on Saturday after the body of a man in his 50s was found in his room.

Two paramedics later began to feel unwell and carbon monoxide checks were carried out by Cornwall Fire Brigade.

High levels of the gas were found and 83 guests were moved about midnight.

The paramedics and thee guests were taken to the Royal Cornwall Hospital in Truro for precautionary checks.

Paramedic praised

The building was ventilated and the heating system shut down.

Gas levels are now said to be safe but the hotel will remain closed until the cause of the problem is established.

Devon and Cornwall Police said they were keeping an open mind as to the cause of the man's death.

A spokesman told BBC News a forensic post-mortem examination would be carried out, but until the results were known, no link could be made to the carbon monoxide levels.

"One of the considerations is that he died of carbon monoxide poisoning but this cannot be confirmed until we have the results of the post-mortem," he said.

"Cornwall fire and rescue service attended the hotel with specialist equipment to conduct checks and identified exceptionally high levels of carbon monoxide on the north east side of the first floor."

South Western Ambulance Trust has praised paramedic Joanne Harris from Cornwall for her quick thinking.

Million pound refurbishment

The hotel reopened six weeks ago after a £1.1m refurbishment.

St Austell Brewery, which owns the hotel, said it was cooperating fully with the authorities in the investigation.

Spokesman Adam Luck said: "We were shocked and saddened to learn of the death of one of our guests at the hotel on Saturday."

The brewery said it had found alternative accommodation for its guests at other hotels in Newquay.

Newquay Mayor Pat Lambshead said he could not believe what had happened.

"I'm absolutely shocked. Hundreds of thousands of pounds has just been spent on the hotel and that this should happen is astonishing," he said.