MORE than 50 holidaymakers are toasting John Smith bitter and Foster's lager after the brews prevented a major fire sweeping through their hotel as they slept.

A fire that broke out underneath a hotel bar was quickly doused by 22 gallons of the beers when the flames burnt through pipes.

Lee Morey, a partner in the 34-room Sands Hotel at Sandown on the Isle of Wight, said; "Fosters and John Smith's certainly helped save the day. Had the beers not doused the flames the situation could have been much worse.

"Bar areas are not good places for a fire to start because there is so much wood and furniture around that can go up."

Lee was woken in the early hours by smoke alarms. He quickly evacuated 56 guests, many of them elderly, and called the fire brigade. Fire crews arrived to find the fire had started from a cigarette thrown into a bin behind the bar area.

Thanks to the beers, there was only minor fire damage.

One elderly resident who suffers from angina was assisted by a paramedic outside the Culver Parade hotel. Another man who cut his finger while smashing the glass in a fire alarm was also treated.

Mr Morey said: "All the guests were very understanding though.

"Afterwards, some even helped out in the kitchen making teas and coffee for everyone.''

Mr Morey also praised fire crews who arrived on the scene in the early hours of Wednesday morning to remove the remnants of the smouldering bin and make sure the fire was well and truly out.

As well as the fortuitous burning of the beer pipes, Mr Morey said it was also crucial that the hotel's smoke alarms had worked in raising the alarm.