High winds hamper efforts to tackle fire at Royal Albion hotel in Brighton

Firefighters said they were expecting to have to tackle the blaze overnight. Photograph: James D Morgan/Getty Images

High winds hampered firefighters tackling a blaze at a hotel in Brighton, the East Sussex fire service has said.

Fifteen fire engines went to the scene just before 5.30pm on Saturday. At 5am on Sunday, the fire service said it was “scaling back operations” but six vehicles and two aerial ladder platforms remained on the scene.