Hero hound Toto has been praised for helping save a block of flats struck by arsonists.

The three-year-old Jack Russell woke her sleeping owners with frightened growls when smoke from a burning pram filled the ground-floor lobby outside their front door.

The dog's barks gave the Cuss family vital time to rouse their neighbours and call 999 before smoke alarms were triggered.

Fire crews who raced to the scene hailed Toto a hero for helping to prevent the blaze from spreading through the three-storey block.

Shirley Cuss, of Adversane Court, Blenheim Road, Horsham, said: "I woke up in the middle of the night because I could hear her growling.

"It was a weird sound, different from the usual noises she makes, so I went to investigate. She was standing there shaking. I looked through the spyhole in the door and all I could see was black smoke."

Shirley, 34, woke husband David and daughter Nicola, 13, before scooping the scared pooch into her arms and fleeing out on to the balcony.

She said: "A pram had been on fire and smoke was going up to the first floor. We were the first ones to ring the fire brigade thanks to Toto.

"If she hadn't woken us up, who knows what would have happened."

David, 30, said: "We owe a lot to Toto. She's our little hero."

Fire crews raced to tackle the blaze at 1.20am yesterday.

People living in the 12 flats were told to wait on their balconies while the smoke was cleared with high-pressure fans.

Two residents were treated at the scene for the effects of smoke.

Ann Harman, 61, who lives in the flat opposite the Cuss family, said: "I think I might have slept through it if it wasn't for their dog and the fire brigade being called."

Maureen Francis, 52, who lives on the first floor, said: "I looked down the stairs and saw the fire. It was scary as that is the only way out other than the balcony, which is too high for me to jump."

Shirley said Toto's bravery was all part of her nature.

She said: "She's a very protective dog and takes care of us.

"There was one time when Nicola was ill and we didn't realise quite how ill she was. Toto spent the whole time in her bedroom whimpering.

"It made us realise we had to take her to hospital. She's definitely a good dog to have around."

A spokesman for West Sussex Fire Brigade said the blaze was being treated as arson.

He said: "Thanks to an occupier's dog, as well as smoke alarms, the alarm was raised early enough to allow firefighters to get to the scene quickly and deal with the incident before it got too serious."