A family had a shock awakening when a freak thunderbolt blasted into the roof of their West Sussex home today.

Colin Fullard, 31, and partner Dawn Williams, 30, were asleep when lightning struck the house in Old Mead Road, Littlehampton, at 6.45am.

The bolt also woke children Rhiannon, 9, Connah, 6, and Megan, 4.

He said: "There was this really loud bang, a smell of ozone and smoke, and I got the kids out of bed and out of the house.

"I had a look from the outside and there was a hole in the roof about the size of a basketball and a good bit of masonry scattered about.

"It was an incredible noise, as you would imagine a bomb to sound."

Mr Fullard, who has lived in the house for seven years, said: "My first thought was to make sure everyone was safe.

"The kids were initially quite shocked at being got up and thrown out of the house.

"The lightning punched a hole in the corner of the roof above where we sleep, so we are feeling very lucky this morning. Today was my day off. I'd been looking forward to a lie-in."

West Sussex Fire Brigade said the lightning strike was an isolated incident and the thunderstorm had not caused other problems.