Firefighters were called to an early morning clean-up after gallons of used cooking oil spilled out on to the road.

Crews arrived at West Street in Brighton at about 3.30am today to find an oil slick several metres wide.

An East Sussex Fire and Rescue Service spokesman said: “There were big 25 litre drums that had been stacked up outside a building and at least three had been knocked over accidentally, “There were already people there when we arrived who had started to try to clear it up and stop it spreading.

“We spent about an hour there scrubbing the road and clearing away the mess to make it safe.”