A fire thought to have started in an airing cupboard destroyed the top floor of a house this morning.

Four fire engines were sent to the property in Turners Mill Road, Haywards Heath, at about 5.50am.

Crews used breathing gear to get into the smoke-filled dwelling and hoses to get the blaze under control.

Unconfirmed reports from other media sources indicate that an off-duty firefighter helped put most of the fire out, preventing it from spreading further.

In the end, the fire gutted about half of the third storey of the house and blackened the rest with smoke.

Part of the roof was also damaged.

Crews from Haywards Heath, Burgess Hill and Hurstpierpoint were sent to the scene. A command unit was also dispatched from Lewes but was not needed. They left the scene shortly after 7am.

A spokeswoman for West Sussex Fire and Rescue said no one was hurt or needed rescuing and that the fire was quickly brought under control.