A fire at a Finsbury Park hotel is thought to have been started by a discarded cigarette which ignited a pile of old mattresses.

Part of a single-storey storage annex in an open area behind the hotel in Wilberforce Road was damaged in the blaze yesterday afternoon. Emergency services were called just after 3.15pm, and 25 fire fighters using four fire engines had the fire under control within an hour. There were no reports of any injuries.

A spokesperson said: “Crews worked hard to stop the fire from spreading to the main hotel.

“Rubbish is a source of fuel and can cause fires to spread quickly. Make sure smoking materials are cold before emptying ashtrays, and preferably wet stubs before throwing them into a bin.”

Fires caused by smoking materials, including cigarettes, roll-ups, cigars and pipes, result in more deaths than any other type of fire.