An arsonist has walked free from court after sparking a blaze in a tower block.

David Sharman was sentenced to 11 months in jail but was released because of the time he had already spent behind bars.

The 55-year-old started the blaze in his studio flat in Marlborough Court, The Drive, Hove, in July.

Neighbours had to be led to safety as smoke filled the block of 55 flats.

Three weeks before Sharman had been arrested when he started another fire in the flat after his partner, Kerry Ward, told him she was leaving him.

The Argus revealed how Sussex Police decided not to prosecute him after the first blaze as he had only damaged his own property and it was believed he was not a danger to others.

During the first fire Sharman deliberately left a phone book on the cooker in his ground-floor flat and had also set fire to a book in the bathroom.

He told officers he wanted to harm himself but nobody else.

After the second blaze, he was charged with arson with intent to endanger life.

At a hearing at Hove Crown Court last month he admitted the lesser charge of arson being reckless as to whether life was endangered.

He claimed the blaze was an accident after a candle he lit was knocked over.

Judge David Rennie ordered Sharman to spend 11 months jail. But because of the 168 days he had spent on remand, he was released from custody immediately.