Fire ripped through a hospital kitchen early today forcing the evacuation of patients and staff.

More than 120 firefighters from all over East Sussex spent two hours bringing the fierce blaze under control at the Conquest Hospital, Hastings.

They were alerted at 4.42am when fire alarms were triggered by fumes from the main kitchen area which rapidly spread to two upper storeys of the building.

Twenty-six staff and patients were evacuated from the nearby accident and emergency department as thick smoke poured in.

People needing treatment were diverted to hospitals in Eastbourne, Ashford and Tunbridge Wells as firefighters used pickaxes to smash holes in the tiled roof to release the fumes.

Nurses arriving for work today were stunned to see a plume of white smoke billowing 60ft into the air.

Nobody was in the kitchen when the blaze broke out, and fire investigators were unable to say what caused it.

Geoff Haynes, chief executive of Hastings and Rother NHS Trust, said: "It is obviously an extremely serious fire which has totally knocked out the kitchen, leaving us with difficulties feeding patients.

"At this stage all we know is that it started in the kitchen area and spread rapidly.

"Obviously with something as serious as this we were not going to take any chances and we closed the A and E department."

Emergency services were still on the scene, opposite Helenswood Secondary School, more than four hours after the alarm was raised.

All out-patients appointments for today have been cancelled.

Assistant chief fire officer, Len Richards said: "We arrived to find the kitchen extremely well alight with smoke going into A and E and the fracture clinic.

"Six pumps were initially called out but within an hour that figure had jumped to 16.

"In total more than 120 staff are here. We will be damping down for some time but its too early to speculate as to the cause."

A spokesman for the hospital said the casualty department had re-opened at 10.30am today for emergencies only and other departments were expected to open throughout the day.

Patients were receiving sandwiches and salad for their lunchtime meal and hot food will be brought over from Eastbourne District General Hospital for tonight's meal.