A CAR caught fire at the middle of a busy city junction yesterday.

The red Fiat was ablaze on the corner of Church Street and Grand Avenue in Hove.

Residents and workers stopped to watch as flames engulfed the vehicle at 8.30am.

Hove firefighters arrived at 8.45am but initially there were no signs of the driver.

At 8.50am the police arrived, followed by the driver who was interviewed by the emergency services.

A firefighter at the scene said the engine had caught fire.

Later a East Sussex Fire and Rescue Service spokesman said the car was extinguished by 9am with foam and the cause of the fire was accidental.