Firefighters spent the night battling a huge blaze at a paper factory in Brighton.

Flames from 500 burning bundles shot 30ft into the sky during the fire at Hyde Business Park, Bevendean, Brighton.

Four appliances from Preston Park, Hove and Roedean were called after the blaze started at about 9.30pm.

It is believed to be the latest in a string of arson attacks at the paper shredding factory.

Fire chiefs say they have been called out three times to blazes there in the past 18 months.

Residents gathered to watch smoke and flames billowing from the burning piles of paper, which were stacked outside the factory in a sealed-off yard.

A lorry was gutted in the blaze.

Firefighters hosed off the area around the burning paper to stop the blaze spreading to nearby vehicles and buildings, one of which contained gas cylinders.

Sub Officer Grant Eager said: "It was well alight when we arrived and had just melted the sheet metal of a lorry and cab. The paper was so densely packed we had to break into the fire bundle by bundle."

Incident command officer Ian Alexander said: "I would say there have been three fires here in the past 18 months. We are pretty sure it is of suspicious origin."