A wife has paid tribute to her husband who suffered severe burns as he tackled a chip pan fire.

Peter Quincey, 49, received first-degree burns to his arms, legs, hands and feet after trying to throw a burning deep-fat fryer out of his front door.

He dropped the pan before he could get it outside and was engulfed in flames and burning oil.

But his wife Shirley, 46, said neither of them would be alive he had not woken up and discovered the blaze.

She said: "We would both be dead now if it wasn't for him waking up, I'm sure of that. He's a hero."

The couple had been out for drinks with friends on Friday night and returned home to Wick Parade, Littlehampton, in the early hours of Saturday.

Mrs Quincey began cooking fishfingers in a deep-fat fryer but the couple fell asleep and the fryer burst into flames.

Mrs Quincey said: "Peter woke up first and it is extremely lucky he did, otherwise the fire would have grown and grown and we would have been trapped. We would be dead."

"He ran into the kitchen and picked up the fryer and tried to take it to the door but it was locked from the inside and he dropped it as he went.

"It was total mayhem in here, the fire was everywhere. The kitchen had gone up and the hall was on fire as well. It seemed like the whole place was on fire."

Despite suffering massive burns from the flames and hot oil, Mr Quincey managed to call the fire brigade.

Two crews from Littlehampton Fire Station arrived just after 4am and to save time hoisted a water hose up the side of the house.

The blaze was brought under control and Mr Quincey was taken to a burns unit at Queen Victoria Hospital, East Grinstead, where he is expected to spend three weeks. Doctors said his condition was serious but not life-threatening.

Peggy Murray, the couple's landlord, said: "The kitchen is an absolute bomb site. I don't know what they were doing cooking food at that time in the morning but but they were lucky to get out alive. It could have been much worse."

"Peter's in a bad way and Shirley is in shock. She's very upset and worried he's not going to pull through but from what we've heard he's going to be ok."

West Sussex Fire and Rescue Service advises people not to remove a burning fryer, to turn off the heat if safe to do so and drop a damp tea cloth or towel over the pan.

Water should not be thrown on to a burning fryer.

The service is carrying out a safety campaign during National Chip Week from February 13 to 19.