One man died and six people were unaccounted for after a serious fire swept through a hotel in Cornwall early on Saturday, police said.

Emergency services were called to the Penhallow Hotel in Newquay shortly after midnight after reports that fire, fanned by the wind, was sweeping through the building which forms part of an Edwardian-era terrace.

TV pictures showed plumes of smoke billowing out of the tall white-fronted building. Emergency services said the hotel had suffered severe structural damage and floors had collapsed.

Police said one man had died and three were being treated for injuries in a nearby hospital. Eighty-six residents were evacuated but six were missing, and guests at adjacent hotels were also moved out.

"The fire is being treated as a major incident," said Superintendent John Green from the Cornwall and Scilly Isles Basic Command Unit.

"It is too early to speculate on the cause of the fire and the scene will be examined by specially trained officers once the fire service advise us that it safe to do so".

Newquay, a resort town on the north coast of Cornwall, is known as a surfing centre and is close to miles of beaches.