A cigarette or matches are believed to be responsible for a house fire.

Firefighters were called to Eldred Avenue in Patcham, Brighton, at around 10.30pm on Monday to find a sofa in the front room well alight.

The homeowners were in bed when the fire started but were alerted by the smell of smoke and were out of the two storey building when crews arrived.

The sofa was destroyed and the rest of the house suffered smoke damage.

A spokesman for East Sussex Fire and Rescue Service said: "The owners had a lucky escape because there was no smoke alarm fitted in the building.

"It could have been a lot worse."