VIDEO: Crews tackle fire at block of flats in Worthing

Firefighters were called at 10.30am to ‘smoke coming out of a flat on the fourth floor’ in Victoria Court, Clifton Road, a fire spokesman said.

At least four pumps were sent to the scene to put out the fire.

Lucy Masson from Clifton Road raised the alarm by calling 999 when she saw smoke coming from a fourth floor window while walking past. The flat is almost opposite Heene Church of England Primary School.

She said: “A few people called 999. The school did as well. The kids were out in the playground for their break so they had to bring them in.

“Just walking down the street you could see the black smoke; it was quite strong.

“Luckily people in the building must have seen the smoke because they started coming out.”

Rosemary Ellis, who has lived down Clifton Road for 20 years, first became aware of the situation when she saw lots of fire engines and police cars outside her home.

She said: “There is never a dull moment down Clifton Road; I guess this is the type of response you get post Grenfell.

“It is worrying; I have a friend who lives in the block, but I don’t know what flat he lives in.

“I didn’t see a lot of smoke; just a few puffs; they were finishing putting it out when I saw it.”

Her young daughter Poppy enjoyed seeing all the emergency service vehicles. Rosemary said: “I wanted to show this little one; little ones like the emergency services.”

Police went to the scene to close the road while the fire was being put out.

A Sussex Police spokesman said: “At 10.36am emergency services were called to Victoria Court, a six-storey building in Clifton Road, Worthing, after a fire was reported to have broken out in a fourth floor flat.

“Police assisted by closing the road between its junctions with Teville Road to the north and Richmond Road to the south.

“There were no reports of any injuries. The cause of the fire is not yet known.”