Man charged with arson after Holiday Inn room fire

A man has been charged with arson with intent to endanger life following a fire at a hotel in Doncaster.

Bradley Bennett, 32, appeared before Barnsley Magistrates' Court on Tuesday after the blaze in a room of the Holiday Inn Express in Balby on Monday.

Police officers called to the scene were praised for attempting to extinguish the flames and evacuating people from the building before firefighters arrived.

Bennett, of Ridgill Avenue, Skellow, was remanded in custody ahead of his appearance at Sheffield Crown Court next month, South Yorkshire Police said.

Two officers concerned for the safety of a person inside a room used fire extinguishers to try and douse the flames, but were forced back by "intense heat and flames".

The officers then "cleared the hotel floor-by-floor, guiding guests and staff outside to safety", before firefighters extinguished the blaze, a spokesperson added.

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