A mother and her three young children were saved by a smoke alarm when fire ripped through their home.

The blaze broke out just before 7.30am in a bedroom of the house in Chippers Road, Tarring, Worthing.

The family was woken by the alarms, which fire crews said saved their lives.

Firefighters found the bedroom ablaze and smoke pouring out of upstairs windows.

A spokesman said: "The mother and her three children were already out of the house when the crews arrived due to the early warning they were given by the smoke alarm.

"The fire was quickly brought under control.

"There is no doubt a smoke alarm once again saved the lives of four people. It is yet another reminder of just how important it is to fit and maintain smoke alarms in the home."

Next-door neighbour Simon English said he was woken when he heard smoke alarms and screaming.

He said the family had all fled the house and added: "The fire alarms were going off and the children were obviously frightened.

"I looked in the front door and saw the smoke coming down from upstairs.

"I got the other neighbours out of their house as a precaution."

Later, the cause of the blaze was being investigated.