A heroic neighbour has told how he was overwhelmed by flames as he tried to save a pensioner from a fire.

Arthur Mann, 85, died after falling asleep while smoking in his ground-floor flat in Pashley Court, Shoreham.

The blaze broke out at 6pm on Wednesday - National No Smoking Day - and the flat quickly caught fire.

Despite the best efforts of neighbour Tony Lovell, Mr Mann died before anyone could rescue him.

Fire and rescue crews had been called to the same address on April 2 last year when it caught fire because of a discarded cigarette.

Mr Lovell, 44, said he had absolutely no chance of overcoming the fierce flames.

He said he saw Mr Mann attempting to douse the flames around him but it was already too late. He attempted to drag Mr Mann out of his flat but was quickly beaten back.

Firefighters yesterday commended him for his actions.

Mr Lovell said: "I couldn't believe the speed that it happened at. Seconds passed but I'd gone in and there was thick smoke but the fire had already taken hold. It was unbelievable.

"You always hear how quickly fires take hold but when you see it for yourself it's shocking."

Mr Mann was described by neighbours as a "real gentleman". He lived alone in the ground-floor bedsit and before that lived on a houseboat opposite Surry Quay, Shoreham.

Adur Deputy District Commander Roy Barraclough said Mr Mann's premises had been fitted with a smoke alarm after firefighters were called to his flat last year.

Commander Barraclough said: "There was very little we could do because of the very short time frame of the fire starting and him dying. People decide whether to smoke or not and we're realistic enough to know people will do so but smoking is the single biggest cause of fires in the home.

"In that respect we would urge people to take sensible precautions and be very sensible with those sort of materials.

"Four hundred people lose their lives every year across the UK because of smoking-related fires.

"It is tragic and rather ironic that this happened on National No Smoking Day."

Firefighters from Shoreham said it was the third fatality in the area in the past 12 months caused by discarded cigarettes.

Gwen Thresh, of Wilmot Road, Shoreham, died in March last year and Michael Jacob, 68, of Ravens Road, Shoreham, was killed on December 9.

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