A man has been arrested after a house fire in which a dog was killed.

Firefighters from Crawley, Horsham, Storrington, Worthing and East Grinstead attended the incident in Creasys Drive, Crawley, yesterday afternoon.

It took several hours for the blaze to be brought under control.

A 60-year-old man from Crawley has now been arrested on suspicion of arson with intent to endanger life.

He remains in police custody.

Police assisted West Sussex Fire and Rescue Service at the scene and officers will remain in the area for the foreseeable future as enquiries continue and for community reassurance.

No people were injured in the incident.

District Superintendent for Crawley and Mid-Sussex Imran Asghar said: “We acknowledge the impact this has had on the local community, however I’d like to reassure the community that we are treating it as an isolated incident with no threat to the wider community.

“While we are not seeking anyone else in connection with the fire, I would still urge anyone who can assist us in our investigation to please come forward.”

Anyone with any information about the incident, including any mobile, dash cam or CCTV footage, has asked to report it online or call 101, quoting serial 815 of 14/09.