An East Sussex railway station was closed last night following a bomb scare.

Passengers at Hastings were evacuated and the area cordoned off as an Army bomb disposal team was called in to detonate a suspicious package left on a platform at 8.30pm.

The package was discovered by a railway employee who called police when no one came to retrieve it.

British Transport Police from Ashford were called and firefighters were put on standby.

Nothing suspicious was discovered but the station remained shut while a controlled explosion was carried out.

Passengers waited anxiously outside hoping to resume journeys but many were forced to find alternative methods of transport.

The main line route, operated by South Central, runs directly to London and Ashford.

Marsid Greenidge, spokesman for rail operator South Central, said: "We were advised Hastings station had been evacuated.

"It was closed for the rest of the evening, disrupting all services including Ashford and east along the coast. We laid on buses and taxis throughout the evening."