Man arrested over fire at Penkridge hotel housing asylum seekers
A man has been arrested on suspicion of attempted arson with intent to endanger life after crews from five fire stations spent three hours tackling a blaze at a Penkridge hotel used to house asylum seekers.
Around 30 firefighters from Penkridge, Stafford, Cannock, Stone and Rugeley stations were called to the fire at Hatherton Hotel Stafford South at 7.06pm on Saturday night.
The hotel, which is currently being used to house asylum seekers, had been evacuated before the crews arrived and the firefighters used hose reel jets to tackle the blaze, which was confirmed as being in one room and which was out at 10.24pm.
On Sunday the entrance to the hotel in Pinfold Lane was sealed off with police tape, with Staffordshire Police confirming that a 23-year-old man from South Staffordshire had been arrested on suspicion of attempted arson with intent to endanger life and currently remains in custody.
A spokeswoman for Staffordshire Fire and Rescue said: "We were called to reports of a fire at Hatherton Lodge Hotel in Penkridge on Saturday evening at 7.06pm.
