Firefighters responded to a fire at a Waitrose supermarket in Hove, East Sussex, during the early hours of Tuesday morning.

East Sussex Fire & Rescue Service (ESFRS) was called at 03:46 to reports of a fire involving a warehouse area at the store on Nevill Road. No casualties were reported.

The fire is understood to have originated within a warehouse chiller while the store was closed, according to Waitrose.

Crews from Brighton, Eastbourne, Hove and West Sussex Fire & Rescue Service attended the incident. At its peak, the response involved 10 fire appliances, with firefighters using four hose reel jets to tackle the blaze.

Following the initial firefighting operation, crews remained on site to extinguish hotspots, ventilate the premises and remove affected materials. The incident response was scaled back during the morning, with operations concluding at approximately 11:30.

The cause of the fire will be subject to investigation.

Waitrose said the fire was "quickly contained" thanks to the "swift action" of the fire service and its partners.

"We're incredibly grateful," its spokesperson added.

"The shop will reopen as soon as it's safe to do so."

Waitrose said its nearby Brighton and Southwick shops remained open as usual.

The fire service thanked its partner agencies and crews for their "hard work", along with members of the public for listening to advice to stay away from the scene.

Police and the ambulance service also attended the scene.

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