A man had a lucky escape after a blaze caused by a lit cigarette started in his flat.

The man had fallen asleep in the lounge but woke to a room full of smoke at about 5am today.

He phoned East Sussex Fire and Rescue Service and evacuated everyone from the block of flats in Drove Road, Portslade.

When fire crews arrived at the property they found a well developed fire in the living room.

A spokesman said: “It could have turned out to be really nasty. There were no smoke alarms in the flat and the man was lucky to have woken.”