A car set alight outside a former Woolworths store caused firefighters to be called out twice.

The vehicle was dumped outside the shop in Western Road, Brighton, at about 2.30am today.

But the fire set off the shop's burglar alarm which in turn produces “cosmetic smoke” to confuse burglars and maximise the chances of them being caught.

Firefighters from Hove doused the car fire and re-set the shop's alarm but were called back minutes later by passers-by who saw the fake smoke and thought there was a real fire in the store.