02/12/2002

Off-duty soldiers arrested after hotel fire

Two off duty soldiers have been arrested following a suspected arson incident in a Belfast city centre hotel in the early hours of this morning.

Emergency services were called to the Travelodge on Brunswick Street at 3am this morning to deal with a fire in the first floor kitchen. The fire was dealt with and the building suffered minor damage to the kitchen and a section of the seventh floor. The hotel's owners expected the hotel to be reopened this afternoon.

A spokesperson for the fire brigade said that, as two seat cushions had apparently been placed over an electric grill in an area where the fire took hold, arson was suspected.

By mid-morning, police investigating the incident arrested the two soldiers. The pair are not believed to have been involved in fire fighting duties during the recent FBU strikes.

(GMcG)

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