Bin fire in Sackville Road

Sharon Hilling, who was visiting Bexhill from her home town of Aldershot raised the alarm by knocking on the door of the Observer office, and said: "I thought, I'm sure that bins on fire, and just knocked on the first door I saw. "

The fire in the bin, which is sited directly outside the Observer office in Sackville Road, rapidly took hold and quick thinking second hand furniture shop owner Adam Sinclair raced to the rescue and extinguished the flames with his watering can and a bowl of water.

East Sussex fire and Rescue Service attended the scene and ensured the fire was completely out.

The cause of the fire is unknown but a fire officer said it may have been caused by a discarded cigarette.