Drone footage has captured the total devastation of a former Sheringham hotel after a fire ripped through the building.

North Norfolk News: The fire at the former Southlands Hotel in Sheringham. Picture: Ian RoperThe fire at the former Southlands Hotel in Sheringham. Picture: Ian Roper (Image: Archant)

Six crews attended the scene at the Southlands Hotel, in South Street, on February 28 at around 1am.

The blaze was bought under control quickly, however a final crew stayed on scene throughout the day to continue to dampen the flames and keep the building safe.

Incident commander John Baker, who is station manager at North Walsham, said the Sheringham crew were first on the scene.

'They could see from the main roundabout that it was a severe fire, so they immediately asked for four appliances,' he explained.

North Norfolk News: The fire at the former Southlands Hotel in Sheringham. Picture: Ian RoperThe fire at the former Southlands Hotel in Sheringham. Picture: Ian Roper (Image: Archant)

Mr Baker estimated that the fire had been burning for up to 30 minutes before the emergency services were alerted by a member of the public.

The police are currently investigating what caused the fire.