A pensioner who was asleep when his house was torched has told how he and his beloved dog nar rowly escaped death.

Tony Brock, 67, emerged from the Down Terrace blaze unhurt but his beloved Staffordshire bull terrier, Blaze, had to be revived by firefighters after cowering under the bed.

Emergency services were called to Mr Brock’s flat in the early hours of June 6 following reports of an arson attack.

Speaking yesterday as he returned to the gutted building Mr Brock described the experience as “terrifying”.

He said: “I was asleep at the time and then heard the alarm.

“Blaze was cowering under the bed crying. I couldn’t find him. I was screaming ‘Blaze, Blaze, Blaze’”.

His neighbour, who asked to remain anonymous, was woken by the shouts and described how “huge flames” were “spilling” out the ground floor windows.

He added: “There was smoke everywhere, you could hardly see a thing. “The firefighters arrived very quickly.

“It’s lucky nobody was killed.”

Mr Brock made it out relatively unhurt but Blaze was badly burnt all over.

Firefighters battled to save the dog on the front lawn after finding it hiding under Mr Brock’s burning bed.

The dog remains in a serious condition at the vets.

Police have arrested a 24- year-old local man on suspicion of arson with intent to endanger life and theft of a wallet from the flat.

Detective Constable Paul Hitchcock said: “From our investigation so far it is apparent that there were several people walking in Downs Terrace immediately before the fire started.

“If you were in the area at that time, or if you have any other information, please call us on 101 quoting serial 0054 of 6/6.”

It is the second time a dog owned by Mr Brocks has taken the brunt of criminal activity aimed towards him.

In 2002, while living in Devonshire Place, Kemp Town, Mr Brock was saved from a knifeman by his two-year-old pet Charlie.

The Irish bull terrier jumped up at the attacker, causing him to be speared in the chest and neck four times.