Residents have been forced to resort to playing traffic cops for more than two hours after traffic lights became stuck on red.

Members of the public have taken traffic control into their own hands after temporary traffic lights in Lewes Road around the Vogue Gyratory developed a fault and became stuck on red in both directions at about 4pm tonight. [Wed]

Residents, employees and a passing artist are all trying to ease the congestion by painting homemade signs to warn people about the possible delays.

Glenn Cabell, who works in nearby Dragon Chinese Food Store and is a former engineer, said he had been contacting the firm responsible for the lights, Response Traffic Management, on several occasions but was told they had not been able to get an employee to the site.

Mr Cabell offered to fix the lights himself but was told the control panel was padlocked so he and resident Chris Pootts designed their own signs.

Passing artist Kim Bodycombe, travelling from her seafront studio to her Coombe Road home, then got out her paints to create a bigger sign.

Sussex Police officers are also now on site directing traffic as well as Brighton and Hove Bus Company staff to prevent the light failure from severely disrupting bus services.