Toddler starts fire

Extensive damage was suffered at the house at The Blatchen, Littlehampton, on Thursday morning, after the little boy, in an upstairs bedroom, accidentally set light to bedding.

Neither the boy nor his parents were injured in the fire, and their pet hamster was also saved from the blaze.

Two fire crews from Littlehampton, one from East Preston and another from Arundel were called and put out the fire in a highly commendable 20 minutes.

Neighbours congratulated the crews, saying they did a brilliant job preventing the fire from spreading to adjoining houses in the terrace.

"The fire took hold very quickly and by the time we arrived, there were flames coming from the upstairs and you could see the plume of smoke from the fire station, a few streets away," said Littlehampton fire station commander Trevor Worsfold.

"It is extremely important to keep lighters, matches and other lighting materials away from children at all times," he added.

West Sussex Fire Brigade assistant divisional officer, Pete Martin said the house did not have a correctly fitted smoke alarm, and urged people to have them fitted and checked regularly.

"This is absolutely essential, especially at this time of year, when people have more flammable material in their homes with Christmas presents and decorations."