A care home blaze was caused by an e-cigarette's battery pack rupturing, firefighters said.

The blaze broke out at the residential care home in Chichester last month.

Today West Sussex Fire and Rescue said an investigation had discovered the cause of the blaze.

It added: “The investigation identified that the e-cigarette's battery pack had ruptured and projected heated battery components across the room igniting nearby bedding.

“Although, thankfully, nobody was injured, the fire caused significant heat and smoke damage to the bedroom.”

Fie investigation officer for West Sussex Fire and Rescue Service, Mark Hayter, said: “This fire was not an isolated incident; other fire services have reported similar instances including a fatal fire in Derbyshire. The problem appears to be with batteries that are attached via a USB cable and have been overcharged.

"Of course, we don't want to discourage anyone from trying to quit smoking. Smoking is still the biggest cause of fatalities in accidental house fires and we applaud anyone taking steps to cut down or give up. However, we would urge anyone using e-cigarettes to take particular care when charging them.”