A security guard who discovered a suspicious device in a busy car park has been praised by police.

Richard Carlton, 42, alerted officers to the scene at Brighton Marina on Tuesday evening, sparking a full-scale bomb alert.

The area was evacuated and sealed off and the bomb squad carried out a controlled explosion on what police believe was a hoax device.

Mr Carlton, who works for Blade Security, said his training in bomb threats and awareness helped him after he spotted a man acting suspiciously in the multi-storey car park.

When he went to investigate, Mr Carlton, who was off-duty at the time, discovered a timing device placed in the wheel arch of a Fiat Uno with wires leading to the door handle.

He said: "It appeared to be a home-made bomb. I immediately stepped back 30ft and phoned the police on my mobile.

"Within a minute I could hear sirens and before long it was total mayhem. Everybody turned up, even the Army.

"I spoke to the guy whose car it was. He couldn't believe it. He said either he had some very sick mates or he was just unlucky somebody decided to stick a bomb on his car."

A police spokesman said: "The action taken by the guard was right and proper and we commend him for contacting the police so quickly after becoming suspicious. We ask all members of the public to be vigilant."

Inquiries are continuing and police are appealing for anyone who saw anything suspicious on the ground floor of the car park on Tuesday at about 6.30pm to contact them on 0845 6070999.