A woman has been arrested on suspicion of murder after a resident died during a house fire.

A 60-year-old woman was arrested by police after being discharged from Conquest Hospital, St Leonards after she was treated for smoke inhalation following a fire in a shared house.

Sussex Police are now investigating the causes of the blaze which started in the fourth floor of the property in Charmaine Court in St Margaret’s Road, St Leonards at around 11.30pm last night.

A 57-year-old man died at the scene and two other female residents were taken to hospital with smoke inhalation.

More than a dozen firefighters using breathing apparatus fought for almost four hours to tackle the blaze.