POLICE are investigating a fire at a Southampton hall of residence early this morning.

Fire crews were called to the Deanery halls in Marsh Lane after paper was set alight in a corridor.

About 80 students were evacuated after smoke alarms went off and the fire left one bedroom heavily smoke-logged.

The freshers had only arrived at the halls this weekend for the start of their studies at Southampton Institute.

One student used an extinguisher to put out the small fire on the fourth floor and firefighters from St Mary's cleared smoke.

Leading fireifighter Barry Rowe said: "It is a shame that this happened as students had only just moved in this weekend and we are normally only called out when food is left on ovens.

"We would like to warn people of the dangers of doing this sort of thing as it could have been a lot worse."