Three children were seen screaming in a window as a fire raged through the top floor of a house in the early hours of the morning.

Horrified neighbours in Rugby Place, Brighton, rang the fire brigade at 2.17am when they saw the children in the bedroom as smoke billowed from the bathroom window.

The children had made their own way onto the street when firefighters from Roedean Fire Station arrived and were greeted by a group of neighbours who had gathered in the street still wearing their pyjamas.

Ali Cato, 51, whose wife called the fire brigade, said: “It was nice to see the community come together in such a scary situation.

“The emergency services were absolutely amazing too.”

Fire officers believe the fire was started accidentally by an unattended candle in the bathroom and there were no working smoke alarms in the property.

One Rugby Place resident took the three children into their home and said: “I was asleep at the time, and when I woke up I was very confused.

“Surprisingly, they weren’t crying.

“But you could tell they were pretty worried and shaken up.”

The three were taken to hospital to be treated for smoke inhalation.

Roedean crew commander, Will Marler, said: “There were no working smoke alarms in the property, so it is just extremely fortunate that everyone was able to make it out safely.

“It is important to have a working smoke alarm on every floor of the house.

“Having a working smoke alarm can buy you valuable time, in the event of a fire, and increase the chances of getting everyone out alive.

“Candles – like any naked flame - can cause fires. It’s very important that they are in appropriate protective holders and not left unattended.”