An elderly recluse died last night when a fire ripped through his run-down house in Arundel.

Firefighters had to crawl into the three-bedroom semi-detached home on their stomachs to avoid the fierce heat and choking smoke.

But the victim, known as "Old Harry" by neighbours, was found dead in a back room which he had turned into a bedsit.

Pensioner Vera Northeast raised the alarm at 3.20am after seeing smoke pouring from her neighbour's house in Fitzalan Road.

Another neighbour, Linda Palmer, 38, said: "I really became aware of the fire at about 4am when suddenly I saw all these flashing lights outside.

"I got dressed, came out, and there was just thick smoke. Our house was shrouded in smoke and I went to the bottom of the garden for a breath of fresh air."

Twenty-five firefighters from Littlehampton, Arundel and East Preston were confronted by a blaze on the ground and first floors at the rear of the property.

Twelve of them crawled into the house to try to rescue the occupant, believed to be Harry Lintott, who was about 90.

Police and fire investigation officers were today sifting through the charred contents of the home in a bid to establish the cause of the blaze.

Ms Palmer said: "Everyone called him Old Harry. He still drove his car but the most you would get out of him was a nod of recognition in passing.

"He never really spoke and the house itself was quite dilapidated. The garden was very overgrown."

Mrs Northeast's home was severely smoke-damaged and she was staying with relatives today.

Fire investigator John Dow, a Station Officer based at Bognor, said the blaze flared up as firefighters got into the property and they were forced to lie down and crawl in to avoid injury.