STAFF and guests were safely evacuated from the Reading Lake Hotel after a fire broke out this morning.

Fire crews have described the blaze as a "significant fire" which at its peak saw around 55 firefighters on scene.

No one was injured but sections of the roof and ground floor of the hotel in Pingewood have suffered damage in the flames.

The cause of the fire is not yet known but a full fire investigation has been launched to determine where it first broke out.

Staff at the hotel did not wish to talk about the incident but a spokesman for Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service (RBFRS) said everyone had been accounted for.

Group manager Jim Powell of RBFRS said: "We were dealing with a significant fire in the roof of the hotel.

"At the peak we have 10 fire appliances and a number of specialist appliances including an aerial appliance.

"There were approximately 55 fire fighters on scene at the height of the incident.

"In terms of the cause we cannot identify anything at this stage but will be providing a full fire investigation to determine the cause.

"There was a quick evacuation and there are no reported injuries or persons trapped."

The fire first caught alight at around 11.30am this morning and saw all four Reading fire crews joined by colleagues from Hampshire, Oxfordshire and Surrey.

Thames Valley Police confirmed they were in attendance in assisting the evacuation process but took no further action once the fire had been brought under control.