A man was rescued from a roaring fire after being found unconscious in his hallway in the early hours of the morning.

Firefighters from Roedean Fire Station attended the blaze at about 2am and made a rapid entry when about a dozen residents outside Robert Lodge in Whitehawk began screaming "there's somebody in there".

The man was found by firefighter Tony Bush who carried the occupant of the first floor flat outside before re-entering to tackle the fire for about three hours.

While outside, fire officers brought the man back to consciousness before paramedics arrived to take over.

The fire caused damage to the flats above and a wider evacuation was carried out.

Mr Bush was in contact with the hospital overnight and was told the man was making good progress.

There was no working smoke alarm in the house, which meant the fire had spread and developed significantly before firefighters arrived.

Read Mr Bush's full account of the rescue operation in tomorrow's Argus.