Hove family flee suspected arson at home
A fire which forced a family to flee their home in Hove is believed to have been started deliberately.
Sussex Police said a mother, father and nine-month-old baby escaped from the fire at the junction of Dorothy Road and Old Shoreham Road on Saturday.
The blaze started in a plastic garden shed and quickly spread to the kitchen at the back of the house.
Fire crews doused the flames before it could spread further and it is now being investigated as possible arson.
A police spokesman said the occupants grabbed their baby from upstairs and escaped through the front door of the property.
A passing police patrol spotted the fire and radioed for help. Several 999 calls were also made by people who saw flames reaching the roof of the house.
"This was a lucky escape for the family," said Det Con Chris Hike, who appealed for anyone with information to come forward.
"Had they been asleep at the time the consequences could have been serious."