DOZENS of firefighters are tackling a blaze at a derelict hotel in Bournemouth.

The fire broke out at the Belvedere Hotel in Bath Road just before 2pm.

Bournemouth resident Steven Winslet dialled 999 when he spotted smoke coming from the roof of the hotel as he was driving past.

Speaking to the Echo he said: “I spotted the smoke and thought it would be a good idea to call 999 but I had no idea what a big incident it would be.

“When I parked up my van in Parsonage Road to wait for the fire crews I saw about six or seven people smash one of the windows of the building and climb out.”

Speaking at the scene, group manager Andy Fox of Dorset and Wiltshire Fire Service, said seven people had been rescued from the first floor windows at the rear of the derelict hotel.

Fire crews then conducted a search of the building to locate any other rough sleepers.

A spokesperson for Dorset and Wiltshire Fire Control said: “The building is frequented by rough sleepers and we were working on the presumption that people might need to be rescued.

“This was a fairly significant fire and crews were working in and around the building.”

At around 4pm a spokesman from Dorset and Wiltshire Fire Control confirmed that everyone believed to be inside the hotel had been accounted for.

Eight fire crews from Dorset and Hampshire were called to tackle the fire, which was located in the third floor and roof space of the hotel.

Crews used breathing apparatus, hoses, main lines and the aerial ladder platform to deal with the blaze.

Two ambulance crews were also called to the scene, but a spokesperson for South Western Ambulance Service said paramedics had not treated any casualties.

Bournemouth council sent three members of its homelessness staff to the scene along with a Rough Sleeper Team.

Bath Road is closed from the Bath Hill Roundabout to the Lansdowne Roundabout while emergency services deal with the incident.

Morebus have tweeted that due to the closure of Bath Road, some of their services are delayed as a result. 

Dozens of onlookers gathered at St Peter’s Roundabout to watch as fire crews tackled the blaze.

One onlooker, Dave Harris, commented that the smoke was “really bad” and that it was making his eyes water.

Meanwhile neighbours who live near the building said they were not surprised that something like this had happened.

Solange Sira, who lives opposite the hotel, said: “I have called the police on a number of occasions to report squatters since the hotel closed a year ago. I’m not surprised that something like this has happened I just hope those involved are okay.”

The minutes of the March meeting of the Bournemouth Civic Society say the hotel has been sold to a new developer.