Firefighters tackle blaze at Waitrose

Firefighters have tackled a blaze that broke out overnight at a Waitrose in East Sussex.

East Sussex Fire & Rescue Service (ESFRS) said it was called at 03:46 BST to reports of a warehouse fire at the supermarket in Nevill Road, Hove.

There were no reports of casualties, it added.

The road was closed in both directions with queuing traffic throughout Tuesday morning, according to traffic monitor INRIX.

The fire service had urged people to avoid the area.

Waitrose said in a statement sent to the BBC the blaze started in a warehouse chiller while the store was closed.

Firefighters from Brighton, Eastbourne, Hove and West Sussex Fire & Rescue Service attended the scene.

They fought the flames with four jets, according to ESFRS.

It said 10 fire appliances attended at the height of the incident, which will be investigated.

Crews spent the morning damping down hot spots, cutting away and ventilating the property.

In an update at 10:25, ESFRS said Nevill Road was being reopened and its response had been scaled down to two fire engines.

The fire service said operations were finished by 11.30.

Waitrose said the fire was "quickly contained" thanks to the "swift action" of the fire service and its partners.

"We're incredibly grateful," its spokesperson added.

"The shop will reopen as soon as it's safe to do so."

Waitrose said its nearby Brighton and Southwick shops remained open as usual.

The fire service thanked its partner agencies and crews for their "hard work", along with members of the public for listening to advice to stay away from the scene.

Police and the ambulance service also attended the scene.

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