A man was arrested after a car smashed through a wall and into the front garden of a vicarage today.

The Volkswagen Golf was being driven along Preston Drove, Brighton, when it careered through the garden wall of Preston Vicarage at about 10am.

The car skidded between the driveway and the garden, then swung round and smashed into a wall dividing the vicarage from a neighbouring property before coming to a halt.

The incident left bricks strewn across the pavement and driveway. Police are still investigating the cause of the accident, after which the car's passenger needed hospital treatment.

The vicarage has been empty for more than six months after the vicar at St John's Church, the Rev Frank Mitchinson, moved to a church in Bolney.

It is currently being looked after by church wardens Sue Benton-Stace and Jane Porter.

Roy Robinson, reader at St John's, said: "It is a shame the vicarage has been damaged but I would hope it is covered by building insurance.

"Things would have been much worse if the church had been damaged, so we should be grateful for that."

Police arrested a man at the scene and were continuing to question him this morning.

A police spokeswoman said: "We were called out to an incident at 10.07am involving a car crashing into a wall.

"We arrested a man at the scene and would encourage anyone who may have seen what happened to call us on 0845 6070999."