Brighton man left homeless after faulty phone charger catches fire and destroys belongings

• Watch report by ITV Meridian's John Ryall

A man from Brighton has described his 'horror' after waking up to a fire which destroyed all his belongings and left him homeless. 

Robert Jamieson was taking an afternoon nap at his flat in Sackville Road in Hove when he was woken by the fire alarm.

Surrounded by thick black some the 57-year-old managed to prise the door of his flat open, and then fell down the stairs where he was rescued by a firefighter and taken to the Royal Sussex County Hospital.

Investigations revealed the fire had been caused by a faulty phone charger - something Robert now wants to raise awareness of.

Speaking to ITV Meridian, Mr Jamieson said: "The flames must have travelled down the arm of the sofa, and then most of the fire was in front of me, so I went to the back of the house.

"I opened the back window but it was too high to jump so I had to go back but because I had the window open the oxygen was feeding the fire.

"I was feeling around for the handle, but I was in a daze and in shock.

"I managed to kick my way out the fire and then found myself out on the street in my boxers."

The charger Robert used was a cheap unbranded one.

Safety campaigners say sub-standard and counterfeit phone chargers are now major cause of house fires.

Ashley Martin from RoSPA said: "I think the dangers are that they may not comply with regulations.

"They may be cheaper and made of inferior materials, and we do know that there are a lot of fires that happen as a result of the use of phone chargers - some that are faulty."

Robert is now living with his daughter until the property is restored.

More than £1500 has been raised on a go fund me page set up by Roberts daughter Amber. Posting on the fundraising page, she said: "We are all still in shock.

"The outcome could have been a lot different give or take a couple of minutes. It is truly unbelievable he has not suffered any serious injuries other than severe smoke inhalation.

"However this has been a very traumatic experience as you can imagine! But aside from such a horrific ordeal we are now facing what lies ahead.

"Every single possession of his has gone. All of his furniture and appliances. All his clothes and shoes, his photos and everything in between is all now a pile of ash.

"The only thing he has left is the boxer shorts he had on when the fire took place."

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