Firefighters were called out to the bar at 7:22am. Despite three engines been called out, one staying past 10am, a spokesperson from the New George Hotel said: “Everything is fine, it was just a small fire.”
The appearance of three fire engines caused confusion, as many locals had not been aware of the fire until they saw the flashing lights and heard the sirens, while guests at the Carlton Hotel next door were not told that anything had happened, nor were staff in the nearby Waitrose.
A spokesperson for the New George did not confirm whether there had been any guests in the hotel, however a representative from Tyne and Wear Fire and Service rescue said that nobody had been put in any immediate danger.