Train services have been cancelled and delayed by up to 60 minutes after a points failure.

The fault near Worthing, along with a set of points in the area, is causing severe disruption to services in western Sussex, with rail operators urging people to delay journeys until later in the evening.

Services operating between Brighton and Portsmouth and Brighton and Southampton Central are most affected by the disruption.

Train tickets are being accepted on alternative Southern, Thameslink and Gatwick Express services, as well as Brighton and Hove Buses and Stagecoach Buses.

A spokesman for Govia Thameslink said: "A fault with the signalling system in the Worthing area, along with a fault with a set of points in the same area, is causing severe disruption to all trains which run on the West Coast routes.

"If you can, please delay your journey until later in the evening. If you are travelling now, your journey will take at least 60 minutes longer than usual, and you will need to use an alternative route to reach your destination.

"Please be aware these are expected are very limited, especially into the late evening when local bus services become less frequent."

Disruption is expected to last until the end of the day.