A dog has been blamed for starting a fire which torched his elderly owner's home and left her cat in peril.

The woman's pet is believed to have jumped up and ignited a cooker ring at the house in North Road, Selsey, which sparked the blaze at noon today.

A tea towel and other items sitting on top of the cooker caught alight and flames spread through the kitchen.

The pensioner, who was out, spotted smoke and heard an alarm as she returned home. She managed to get the dog to safety and dialled 999.

Firefighters rescued the cat and doused the flames. They said 30 per cent of the kitchen was damaged by fire and the whole house badly smoke-damaged.

Fire safety officer Roger Wood said: "It appears the elderly lady didn't often use her cooker and put various items on top of the rings.

"Although the cooker controls were off, the appliance was still switched on at the mains. Our advice is always keep items such as tea towels stored well away from cookers."