Two sheds were destroyed in Burgess Hill after hot coals from a barbecue started a fire.

The barbecue chef poured water on the coals after cooking and tipped them out at the bottom of his garden.

The coals reignited, destroying his shed and one belonging to a neighbour.

Sylvia Munford, 31, of Royal George Road, said: "I looked out of the window and saw loads of black smoke. I thought it was a bonfire. I had washing on the line so went out to bring it in.

"Then I saw a big tree and thought, 'That's going to catch fire'.

"It did and then I saw our fence was on fire. It spread to our shed. It's completely destroyed. We kept things like garden furniture, tools, pots of paint and a wheelbarrow in it."

There was also damage to the front of one of the houses.

Burgess Hill fire brigade station commander Ivor Henley said: "The moral is, dispose of your barbecue ashes or coals in the proper manner.

"To be fair to the occupier, he poured water on the coals and thought they had gone out but because the grass was so dry it caught fire.

"Another shed and the fascia of a house were heat damaged."