STAFF Darryl Passmore and Pete Gillespie have been praised for their quick thinking actions which could have saved a hotel from serious fire damage.

The night staff went into action just after midnight at the Dart Marina Hotel after they discovered a fire in a coffee and tea making room next to the bar.

They calmly organised the evacuation of more than 70 guests staying at the Dartmouth four star hotel before Darryl, 24, went back into the hotel and attacked the blaze with a fire extinguisher.

Dartmouth fire team's watch commander Neil Whitemoor said the action of tackling the blaze with a fire extinguisher had 'knocked it back' and virtually put it out before the fire crews arrived.

He said: 'They did everything spot on and organised the evacuation. If it had not been for them it could have been a lot worse.'

Hotel manager Paul Downing said the evacuation had gone 'perfectly well' and guests had commented on the 'calmness, the organisation and the caring attitude' of the two staff.

Darryl and Pete, 23, have both worked as night managers at the hotel for the last five years. They had only recently completed courses on security and fire safety when they found themselves involved in the late- night emergency.

Darryl said they had both smelled smoke and had gone to check the hotel fire panel when the alarms went off and he saw smoke 'rolling across the ceiling of the hotel lounge'.

He said Pete had been overseeing the evacuation when he found the fire in the coffee area.

Darryl said: 'It wasn't too smoky because the smoke was going out through an extractor flu. I had a go with the extinguisher and it started to work so I kept on going and put it out.'

The fire which set off alarms at the hotel at around 12.30am.

The coffee machine was wrecked in the blaze and the wall by the machine was also damaged.

Mr Downing said: 'Both of them have worked here for years. 'We have complete confidence in them. The responsibility for the hotel is in their hands at night and they have done us proud.'

Mr Whitemoor said the hotel guests had been kept out of the hotel for some 30 or 40 minutes and were taken to the Floating Bridge Inn next door while they waited.

Mr Downing said: 'It was a very peasant and mild evening so the gests were telling us.'

Dartmouth fire crews wore breathing apparatus to tackle the blaze and then used a thermal-imaging camera to ensure there was no further danger before leaving.