The first floor of a house occupied by squatters in Worthing was gutted by fire in the early hours.

Three squatters fled the blaze but their belongings were destroyed after flames ripped through the building in Teville Place, Worthing.

Sub Officer Pete Tooth said: "Flames were roaring out of the first floor and smoke was filling the sky. We honestly thought the whole building was alight."

He said firefighters had to check every room for possible victims because it was hard to establish how many people were inside.

The blaze was extinguished in less than an hour. No one was injured.