POLICE have launched an investigation after a young woman escaped a small fire at her home in Brighton Hill this morning.

Firefighters from Basingstoke fire station were called to a fire in an upstairs maisonette in Schubert Road, Brighton Hill at nine minutes past midnight this morning.

A neighbour managed to put the fire out by pouring water through the property's letterbox and the young woman, who is 17-years-old, managed to escape by climbing out of an upstairs window.

The front door and an area of carpet behind the door have been damaged by the fire.

An investigation has now been launched by the police and it is thought that something could have been poured through a letterbox which started the fire.

No further details are known at this stage.