GALE-FORCE winds which ripped through Newquay on Wednesday blew a "massive chunk" of a hotel's roof off.
Guests at the Barrowfield Hotel were evacuated around 10am when almost the entire roof was blown straight off.
Debris from the top of the on Hilgrove Road building landed on the site and guests of ten rooms were shipped over to the Sandy Lodge Hotel, where they spent two nights.
Newquay police shut the road for several hours until the roof was made safe and no one was injured during the incident.
Building contractors are now making the roof waterproof before they begin repairing it.
Hotel manager, Richard Cornish, said it was "lucky" that the contents of the roof landed on the Barrowfield Hotel site as it could have been "a lot worse".
He said the roof was covered by insurance.
"The wind took the roof totally off," he said. "A massive chunk anyway.
"We evacuated everyone from the third floor to make sure everyone was safe.
"People are on site now. I called Cornwall Council's building contractors in.
"Everyone has responded brilliantly and all the companies have helped us."
The hotel is open as usual and is full again, he said.
