A DRUNKEN man caused a fire in a Woolston hotel, endangering lives of residents after he fell asleep smoking a cigarette.
Paddington House Hotel on Manchester Road has a strict no smoking policy yet fire crews were called to the 37-room hotel at 12.10am on Saturday.
The man, thought to be in his 30s, had fallen asleep while smoking a cigarette, igniting a pile of clothing next to his bed.
Duty manager Stephen Bate dragged the man out of the burning room after fire alarms alerted hotel staff to the blaze, saving his life.
Mr Bate said: "He was very drunk and did not really know what was going on.
"There was a lot of smoke but the fire was contained very quickly although it has caused a lot of damage to the room."
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