Pets rescued from Littlehampton fire

Fire crews were called to a house in Kent Road at around 8.20am, when neighbours saw smoke billowing out of the bungalow.

At first, it was thought that the owners were inside, but when firefighters broke in, they found only the pets.

Niall Cooper, fire commander at Littlehampton fire station, said that an installed smoke alarm had no batteries in it.

"Although there was nobody at home, it is possible that the neighbours would have heard the alarm, and alerted us to it earlier. Smoke alarms should always have batteries fitted, and they should be checked once a week."

He added that the fire had started in the kitchen, which had been left severely damaged. He added that the cat had been taken to a vet to be checked over, and that the dog was fine.