A father rescued his four-year-old daughter from a blazing flat after a candle in a nativity scene started a fire.

Christian Coulthard braved a room full of flames to pull his daughter Grace to safety.

The girl had been playing in the lounge at the flat in Halland Road in Moulsecoomb, Brighton, when a candle set fire to cotton wool in the festive display, which she and her father had made together.

Mr Coulthard saw flames as the fire took hold of the nativity scene. He and his partner went to fetch a pan of water, but returned to find engulfed - with Grace still inside.

Mr Coulthard rushed into the heat without hesitation and grabbed his daughter.

He carried her out and the family escaped to safety to call the fire brigade.

Mr Coulthard's hair was slightly singed but they were all otherwise unharmed.

He said: "I'm a bit shaken but we are OK. I thought it was just a little fire but the room was alight so quickly.

"I went in and got my daughter. There were flames all around. I just knew we had to get out of the place.

"I can't believe it all caught light from a piece of cotton wool."

Firefighters from Preston Circus station in Brighton arrived to find the lounge well alight.

Sub Officer Grant Eager said: "It was a serious fire. The nativity scene was underneath the Christmas tree and flames quickly spread, setting fire to the tree, the bookcases, futon, sofa and the whole room.

"We managed to contain it in the lounge as it was just beginning to spread into the loft, which could have made it much worse.

"The dad had already rescued his daughter and managed to get her and his partner out. It's incredible that he only singed his hair."

Amazingly, one sack of Christmas presents which had been under the Christmas tree was spared from the fire.

Mr Coulthard said: "We at least managed to salvage one little bit of Christmas."