A squatter narrowly escaped with his life when The Cambridge Arms Pub caught fire.

Firemen were called to the blaze at the disused pub in Cambridge Road, Kingston, at around 11pm on Thursday, December 6, and used a ladder to free the trapped man.

The blaze started in one of the upstairs bedrooms and caused around 25 per cent damage to the derelict pub, which was inhabited by squatters when the fire broke out.

It began when one of the squatters carelessly threw away a match or cigarette, igniting the front room on the first floor of the pub, sparking debate at Kingston Council over the safety of derelict sites.

Councillor Derrick Chester said: Council officers have been to the site to try and clean up the public highway from broken glass and fire debris.

I have asked that the council give immediate consideration to funding the securing of the site themselves.

The heat is also on from residents as a planning application to demolish the building and put up 13 flats has just been submitted.

Lorraine, a squatter who lived in the Two Brewers site in Kingston town centre, tried to move into the Cambridge Arms, only to find it already occupied by another group.

She said: We wanted to stop the pub from being demolished. We were going to open the ground floor for people to come in and sign a petition but it looks like it will suffer the same fate as all the community pubs in Kingston and will be turned into a roundabout or flats.

Drinkers are still reeling after losing the Duke of Cambridge in Kingston Vale, the Toby Jug in Tolworth and the Railway Tavern in Surbiton in the last two years.

Coun Chester said: We are very concerned about the sudden acceleration of the loss of community pubs in the borough.

By.David Rankin