About 100 guests were evacuated last night when suspected pranksters set off a fire alarm at a central Watford Hotel.

Firefighters were called to Travelodge, in Market Street, at about 4am this morning when a break glass alarm was activated.

Crews from Watford Fire Station were on the scene in minutes and guests were forced to flee the building.

Watch Commander Dave Elliott said the incident had all the signs of a prank. He said: “It’s just not acceptable. It is not acceptable for fire appliances to be tied up for that length of time and there was 100 people standing around on the pavement at four o'clock in the morning in the cold.”