The body of a man found dead in his Newquay hotel room is being tested for carbon monoxide poisoning today.

The guest, who was in his fifties, died on Saturday in the Great Western Hotel on the North Cornwall coast. Another 95 holidaymakers were evacuated later that night when emergency services detected dangerous levels of carbon monoxide.

Five people were taken to the Royal Cornwall Hospital in Truro suffering from symptoms associated with gas poisoning.

Hotel safety fears were raised in Newquay last summer when three people died in a fire that engulfed the Penhallow Hotel at the peak of the Cornish tourist season in August.

The Great Western Hotel, which reopened six weeks ago following a £1.1 million refurbishment, has been closed and will remain shut until further notice.

Paramedics were called to the hotel on Cliff Road, Newquay at Saturday lunchtime when staff found the body of a man in his room. Nine hours later, two ambulance workers, who had then finished their shifts, recognised symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning in themselves.

The paramedics, Joanne Harris and Christian Brown,reported their fears for the safety of the guests at 10pm. Within an hour, more than 100 people had been evacuated and the hotel’s heating system shut down.

A child, one woman in her forties and a man in his twenties joined the paramedics being examined at hospital while alternative hotels were found for the other guests.

Michael Shlusar, one of the evacuated guests, said: "A couple of my friends made the point that it could have been me if the door wasn't opened or if the firemen didn't come."

A Devon and Cornwall Police spokesman said one of the possibilities was that the man died of carbon monoxide poisoning but this could not be confirmed until the results of today’s post-mortem.

Adam Luck, estates director for St Austell Brewery, which owns the hotel, said: “We were shocked and saddened to learn of the death of one of our guests at the hotel on Saturday and we are co-operating fully with the authorities as part of their investigation to determine the cause.”

Carbon monoxide is a colourless, odourless, but poisonous gas produced by the incomplete burning of carbon-based fuels, including gas, oil, wood and coal.

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