A family escaped their smoke-filled home after waking to find flames licking the outside of their house.

Emma Matravos was sleeping in the living room at her mother's home in King Street, Brighton, when she woken by strange noises. She fears the whole family could have been killed had she not been in the front room at the time and able to lead them to safety.

She opened her eyes to see flames outside the large window in the front room and immediately called the fire brigade.

East Sussex Fire and Rescue Service confirmed they were called to the four-storey town house at about 3.50am after a bin was set on fire.

The fire spread to a storage cupboard, which was completely destroyed, and damaged the front of the property, melting double glazed window frames, scorching the outside of the house and cracking the glass in the front room window. The property also filled with smoke.

Ms Matravos had to wake her mother Gill Ewing, 50, who was asleep in a room at the top of the house. She also alerted Kerrie Parsons, 20, and brother Lewis Gent, 15, who were in the house at the time.

Mrs Matravos said the fire was not the first time there had been an attack on the property. She claimed there have been several antisocial acts in the street leaving her mother distraught and frightened to live in the property.

She said: I woke up feeling very hot, opened my eyes and saw the flames.

"My mum likes living here but it's so unsafe. She's had things put through her letterbox and people banging on the window. We need a CCTV camera here.

"A while ago my mum had graffiti on the wall but we do not know who did that. Once she came home to find fire extinguisher foam sprayed everywhere and someone set a bin alight last year.

"If I had not been here my mum would not have been able to get out. My mum is petrified."

Ms Matravos said the problem is only going to get worse if something is not done to tackle the antisocial behaviour in the street.

She said: "We have spoken to the council before about getting a CCTV camera put up."

A Brighton and Hove City Council spokesman said: "The council takes antisocial behaviour extremely seriously and we are working round the clock with our partners to reduce incidents.

"We investigate every report of this sort of behaviour and, if appropriate, we involve the police. "However, CCTV is not always the answer and we would urge the resident to get in touch with the council or the police so her concerns about crime and antisocial behaviour in King Street can be addressed appropriately."

Police arrested a man yesterday, at an address in North Street, Brighton, on suspicion of arson. The man, who is in his 20s, was last night being questioned by police.