A family escaped their burning home when smoke alarms alerted them to the blaze.

The fire started in a bedroom and is believed to have been caused by a cigarette.

When the smoke alarms went off, the woman in the house rushed upstairs to rescue her young child from the back bedroom.

She tried to tackle the blaze with a fire blanket but was beaten back by the heat. She shut the bedroom door, preventing the fire from spreading to the rest of the house.

West Sussex Fire and Rescue Service were called to the fire in Collyer Avenue, Bognor Regis, at 9.10pm on Friday.

Firefighters found thick black smoke pouring from the front of the house.

One room was severely damaged and the rest of the house affected by the smoke.

Incident Commander Richard Sergeant said: "Had they not had working smoke alarms, lives could have been lost.

"Although the woman closed the bedroom door and managed to lead the child to safety, we strongly advise people not to tackle a fire.

"You should get everyone out of the building and call the fire service by dialling 999. Make an escape plan and ensure your family know what to do in the event of a fire."

The fire service advises people to install smoke alarms and test them weekly.

For more fire safety information, visit www.westsussex.gov.uk For free home fire safety checks in West Sussex, call 0800 3286 487.