Fire Crews Tackle Early Morning Blaze At Hove Waitrose

Firefighters have tackled a fire at a Waitrose supermarket in Hove after crews were called to the scene in the early hours of this morning.

East Sussex Fire & Rescue Service received reports of a warehouse fire at the store on Nevill Road at 3.46am.

Ten fire engines were sent to the incident at its height, with crews from Brighton, Hove, Eastbourne and West Sussex Fire & Rescue Service attending. Firefighters used four hose jets to bring the blaze under control.

The fire is believed to have started in a warehouse chiller area while the store was closed.

There have been no reports of any injuries.

Nevill Road was closed in both directions throughout much of the morning, causing traffic delays in the area.

The road had reopened by around 10.25am as the emergency response was scaled back.

Crews remained on site carrying out damping down operations, ventilation work and checks for hotspots before the incident was declared over at around 11.30am.

Police and ambulance crews also attended the scene.

The cause of the fire is due to be investigated.

In a statement, Waitrose thanked firefighters and partner agencies for their response, adding that the store will reopen as soon as it is safe to do so. Nearby stores in Brighton and Southwick remain open as normal.