A woman living above a pub had a lucky escape after tea towels ignited in a tumble dryer.

The woman, in her 40s, was asleep in bed in the flat above the Holly Tree Pub in The Street in Walberton near Fontwell at just after 1.30am this morning when the fire started in a tumble dryer.

The tea towels had been left in the machine following a drying cycle and then ignited.

Fortunately the flat was fitted with a working smoke alarm which sounded and alerted the woman to the developing fire giving her time to escape.

Firefighters from Arundel and Bognor entered the flat wearing breathing apparatus and extinguished the blaze using a hose reel and covering jet.

The woman was suffering from mild smoke inhalation and was given oxygen therapy by the fire crew at the scene but did not need further hospital treatment.

A similar exploding tea towel incident in Brighton’s Terre a Terre closed the award-winning vegetarian restaurant in October 2012 for three months.

Incident Commander Richard Tout from Arundel Fire Station said: "This is another example of where a working smoke alarm has potentially saved a life.

“The lady was asleep in bed and had the smoke alarm not alerted her, this fire could have had tragic consequences.

"We would also like to remind people about the danger of leaving appliances like tumble dryers, washing machines or dishwashers running overnight or while out.

“They can be a potential fire risk because of their high wattage, friction and motors."