TWO newly-weds last night described how their wedding night went up in smoke after they were forced to flee their blazing hotel.

Terry Allan, 27, and his wife Denise, 24, were among 30 guests evacuated unharmed from the fire in West Rainton, near Durham City, in the early hours yesterday.

At its height, more than 50 firefighters tackled the blaze, which broke out in the kitchen and destroyed about a third of Rainton Lodge - a family-owned hotel part-run by former Durham cricketer Mike Roseberry.

Mr Allan, who on Saturday night had enjoyed a wedding reception for 90 people at the hotel, said: "I heard an alarm go off at about 2.20am and thought someone was messing about, so didn't do anything about it.

"When I heard it go off a second time, I wrapped myself and my wife in a quilt and we went outside to see what was happening.

"I realised it was a fire when I saw smoke all over the place and a crowd of people outside.

"We quickly got some clothes on and got out."

Mr Allan, from Penshaw, Sunderland, who had been given some lucky charms with his wedding presents, added: "We were gutted by the whole thing. It spoiled our night.

"The main thing is that, luckily, we were not hurt.

"We had to leave all our bridal gear in the room, including my wife's wedding ring, but thankfully the fire did not spread to our room so nothing was damaged."

Firefighters praised hotel staff for the speedy evacuation of the premises.

Mr Roseberry, whose family owns a chain of hotels, described his devastation at seeing the damage caused.

He said: "We have just spent a lot of money refurbishing it. The main thing, though, is that no one was hurt."

He said ten of the 28 rooms had been damaged, while the kitchen, cocktail lounge and bar area were completely destroyed.

Durham and Darlington Fire and Rescue Brigade divisional officer Ian Dockerty said the fire, which took two hours to bring under control, was discovered by the night porter who had gone to investigate a noise in the kitchen.

He said: "By the time he had called the fire brigade the alarm had already gone off.

"Firemen arrived to find people being evacuated. There were fears two people had been trapped, but it was subsequently found they had already left the hotel."

On the brighter side, Mr Roseberry said: "Thankfully we own a building firm as well, so we will be able to start repairing the hotel straight away."