A 30-year-old woman is fighting for her life after suffering severe burns at her home.

Her flatmate arrived home to find her engulfed in flames, a fire service spokesman said.

Police are investigating but a spokesman said no one was under suspicion.

The victim's flatmate found her with her clothes on fire at her flat in Stoneham Road, Hove, at about 1.30pm yesterday.

He took her into a rear garden and dowsed her with water. Firefighters and paramedics were called.

The victim, in her 20s, was taken by ambulance to the Royal Sussex County Hospital, Brighton, where she was treated in the burns unit.

A fire brigade spokesman said the victim had been engulfed in flames when her flatmate found her.

He said: "When we arrived we found the victim had severe burns all over her body. We administered first aid until the ambulance arrived minutes later. She was still conscious and was sitting in the back garden, talking.

"Her flatmate told us he had been in another room to the victim and when he found her he dealt with her as best as he could. He poured water over her until all the flames went out."