A man says he has lost everything after a fierce blaze tore through his home in Great Yarmouth.

Four fire crews rushed to Southtown Road after the occupant dialled 999 at around 22.53pm on Sunday.

The man, in his 40s, and who asked not to be named, said he was upstairs working on his computer when he heard a loud bang downstairs.

"It was a bang that shook the house," he said.

"I ran downstairs thinking 'whatever was that?' and I saw the fire inside the front room on a pile of clothes.

"I thought about throwing water over it, but in the end I grabbed the fire extinguisher from the kitchen and it just went 'whoosh'.

"I had to get out and I called the fire brigade and banged on the neighbour's door."

He was able to stay with family overnight but having rented the house for around 14 years will have to find somewhere else to live.

Inside the house is a mass of blackened and charred debris. The floors are covered with broken glass and a melted bathroom cabinet bears witness to the heat of the blaze.

The man, who works as a content provider for streaming channel Twitch, said he had lost everything, including the computer equipment he needed to work.

Adding to his devastation was the fact his possessions were not insured. He said the policy ran out three months ago and because times were hard he had not renewed it.

All he was left with were the t-shirt, jeans and slippers he was wearing when the fire broke out.

"I have been through cancer twice, I will get through this," he said.

He praised Norfolk Fire and Rescue Service for their quick response, arriving in around one minute and taking control before the fire in the end-of-terrace property spread.

On Monday morning fire investigators were at the house working to pinpoint the source of the blaze, an early suspect being a battery pack that was charging nearby.

Although the cause of the fire was unknown and there was a smoke detector in the house, one of the officers urged people not to take short cuts with fire safety in a bid to save money because it could end up costing much more.

Neighbours said they had been woken by the blaze which sent thick black smoke billowing across rooftops. Police had also been at the scene urging people to stay inside and to shut their windows.