A man was trapped in a bedroom as flames ripped through the downstairs of a home in Crawley.

Firefighters used a ladder to rescue the man from the first-floor bedroom in Malthouse Road.

He was treated at the scene for the effects of breathing in smoke. No one else was found in the building.

Fire officials said the blaze, which broke out just before 2am on Saturday, started on the rear ground floor. The cause is being investigated.

A brigade spokesman said: "This incident highlights the need for people to have made a fire plan which incorporates an alternative fire exit other than the front door."