Residents were left in shock after a murder investigation was launched following the death of a man in a house fire.

Emergency services descended on Preston Road, Brighton, in the early hours of Sunday morning after receiving reports of smoke coming from a property.

Firefighters battled to put out the blaze which was in a basement flat.

A 50-year-old man was pronounced dead at the scene and a 36-year-old woman from Brighton was arrested on suspicion of murder. She remains in custody.

There was a large police presence in the area well into the afternoon with officers manning a cordon and forensics teams working in a tent in the road.

A forensic officer was seen carrying items out of the three-storey building.

Preston Road was sealed off from Ditchling Rise to the junction of Stanford Avenue while emergency services worked.

Residents were left shocked by the incident.

Emily Johnson, a second-year student at the University of Sussex who lives in Preston Road, said: "We all woke up at about 9am and I looked out of the window and I could see all the gas and electric vans and police.

"And about an hour later we saw the police forensics.

"We were confused about what was going on."

Housemate Anya said she woke up during the night as she heard sirens.

"We heard lots of sirens but that's not unusual in this road,” she said.

"I opened my window and saw police vans."

A worker at Expa Market in Preston Road said he was shocked to see the cordon in place when he arrived to open the shop on Sunday morning.

“You don’t expect that sort of thing,” he said.

A spokesman from East Sussex Fire and Rescue Service said the cause of the fire is currently unknown and investigation will be undertaken.

"We were called to a fire in a basement flat of a three-storey building in Preston Road, Brighton at 3.48am on Sunday morning,” a spokesman said.

"Crews from Preston Circus, Roedean, Newhaven, Bexhill and Lewes, supported by crews from West Sussex Fire and Rescue Service used breathing apparatus, an electric saw and forcible entry to access the property.

"Pumping equipment and firefighting foam was used to deal with the fire.

"Unfortunately, there was one fatality, and a female was taken in to the care of the ambulance service.”

Sussex Police have appealed for anyone with information about the incident to come forward.

"Enquiries to establish the circumstances are ongoing at this time and anyone with information in relation to the incident is asked to make a report,” said a force spokeswoman.

"You can contact us by using our online reporting form, or by calling 101 quoting Operation Tunnel."