Firefighters tackled three dramatic blazes in Brighton last night.

Crews were called to fires in Kemp Town, Grand Parade and the Western Road area.

Three people had to be rescued and a man was taken to hospital following the fire at around 2.30am in the ground floor of a block of bedsits in Grand Parade.

Fire and police investigators are due to return to the address this morning to find out how the fire started.

A spokesman for East Sussex Fire and Rescue said: ""We had to evacuate three people and the occupant of the room where the fire started was taken to hospital suffering smoke inhalation.

"It looks like the fire started in a stereo in the room on the ground floor, but the smoke filled three floors."

At 5am crews were called to the Lion and Lobster pub in Sillwood Street.

Firefighters had to break in through windows on the second floor of the building to reach the fire in the kitchen.

"The fire was in the kitchen on the second floor of the pub.

"Fire investigators believe it started accidentally, probably by a light fitting.

"It completely gutted the kitchen and there is quite a lot of water damage to the first floor below.

"The pub was all locked up so we had to go in through the second floor windows."

The city's firefighters' busy night started at around 6.30pm when residents in Essex Street, Brighton called to report sound of an explosion.

Crews arrived to find a "plume of smoke" above Kemp Town.

The fire was in a shed next to a derelict property.

No one was hurt and there were no further explosions.