A young woman faces starting the New Year living on the streets after a candle set fire to her Christmas tree.

Talitha McIntyre-Burnie was forced from her temporary home at the Russell Lodge Hotel in Holland Road, Hove, after flames swept through it shortly before 10am yesterday.

All her possessions were destroyed and firefighters said she was lucky to escape with her life.

She only moved into the room a few weeks ago after sleeping rough for more than five months.

Even though she expected to spend Christmas alone, she said she was looking forward to celebrating with a roof over her head.

But she found little Christmas spirit when it came to finding somewhere to stay.

She said: "It is finding somewhere that will accept DSS. There are not many landlords who do.

"My mum lives in Hove, but there is no way I can go back and live there.

"If you are set up in accommodation it is a little easier to find another place, but once you are homeless, you are labelled and that is that. It's a case of 'No room at the Inn'."

She appealed for help and begged someone to take her in.

Volunteers from the British Red Cross helped to comfort her and said they would be able to offer her a place to stay for a few nights.

Sub-officer Andrew Gausden, of Hove Fire Station, said Miss McIntyre-Burnie was lucky to have escaped the blaze and warned people to always watch a naked flame and install smoke alarms.

He said: "The fire gutted the whole bedsit. We were there within five minutes, but by then it had got a hold. She lost all her possessions, everything."

Paul Russell, who has owned the hotel for 25 years, said it was the second fire to hit Russell Lodge in two weeks.

He said: "It's really something you could do without, to be made homeless on Christmas Day. It has spoilt Christmas for everyone here."

"I've been here all this time and nothing like that has happened and now there's been two in as many weeks. It has been a terrible few weeks."

The rest of the hotel was undamaged by the fire and no-one was hurt.