FIFTEEN people were rescued and five fled to safety after fire sent poisonous fumes through their flats.

Grandparents and children were among those who climbed down ladders from windows or were lifted from balconies by an aerial platform.

Ambulance crews stood by but apart from bouts of coughing, none of the residents was injured.

The fire broke out shortly after 8am yesterday at Wellingtonia Court in Laine Close, Withdean, Brighton.

The purpose-built block, comprising four floors plus a penthouse, was home to about 20 people yesterday.

Residents were waking, showering or having breakfast when they first smelt smoke and fumes.

Simon Stace, 32, a civilian worker with Sussex Police, ran downstairs to find the source and saw a man in just his underpants: "He was running upstairs saying there was a fire in the electrical cupboard."

His wife Stephanie, 34, quickly dressed to leave but found the hallway blocked by acrid smoke.

She went to a balcony window and leaned out, calling "hello".

She was helped down a ladder by firefighters. She said: "My knees were shaking but I didn't feel too scared."

Alex Johnson, 13, and his sister Hannah, 15, were staying with their grandmother Peggy Jones, who is in her 80s.

Alex was helped on to a ladder from Mrs Jones's balcony.

He said: "I woke up and heard popping noises but I didn't know what it was.

"I woke my sister up and we opened all the windows because of the fumes.

"A fireman knocked at the door and we went to the balcony. It was scary to begin with."

Firefighters stayed with Alex's sister and grandmother on a balcony until an aerial ladder-platform lifted them to safety.

More than 20 firefighters from Preston Circus, Roedean and Hove stations confined the damage to the area of the electrical intake.

Officers wearing breathing gear had the fire under control within minutes but had to check each flat to ensure all residents were out and to ventilate the building.

Station Officer Richard Fowler said the toxic fumes came from burning insulation plastics around power cables.

He said: "It was very dangerous which is why we rescued people from balconies and windows."