A man died in a horrific house fire last night.

Firefighters were called to an address in South Terrace, Littlehampton, at 12:45am to reports of a blaze in a house of flats.

The fire had started in the front hall of the building with smoke trapping residents in the flats upstairs.

Fire crews rescued one woman from the roof using an aerial ladder platform and another from the first floor.

Four people were taken to hospital suffering from smoke inhalation but have now been released.

When firefighters entered the house, they found a dead man in a basement flat at the rear of the building.

The blaze was put out at 4:35am.

A spokeswoman from West Sussex Fire and Rescue said the cause of the fire was believed to be accidental.

This morning, one shocked neighbour said: "He was just a young man and he always seemed really nice and polite.

"I cant believe this has happened."

Investigators are currently on scene trying to determine the cause of the fire.

Did you know the victim? Send tributes to bill.gardner@theargus.co.uk.

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