A man was fighting for life tonight after a fire swept through a derelict building being used by squatters.

Firefighters were tonight still searching for others in the six-storey block on Brighton seafront as forensic scientists checked for evidence of an arson attack.

Sussex Police were called to the rundown house in King's Road at 3am - three hours before the blaze - following reports that items were being thrown from the windows on to the street below.

A group of squatters were evicted but later returned. Detectives are investigating whether the disturbance and the fire were connected.

More than 30 firefighters tackled the blaze at its height. Fifty guests staying at neighbouring hotels were evacuated.

A man in his thirties suffered 22 per cent burns.

He is in a critical condition at the city's Royal Sussex County Hospital.

Others in the building claimed more people could be trapped inside.

Tonight police said they were "reasonably satisfied" that no one else had been left in the smouldering remains of the house.

A spokeswoman said: "The search will continue until 10pm. We are reasonably satisfied there was no one else in the building but clearly we need to make 100 per cent sure.

"We are now investigating whether the fire was started deliberately and if there is a connection with the earlier incident.

"The injured man is in a critical condition. We are not sure where he is from as he was one of the squatters from the building."