A pizza  believed to be the hottest in the world is being cooked up in a Saltdean restaurant.

The scorching Saltdean Sizzler is too hot for many pizza lovers to handle – with just nine of the 1,200 heat-lovers who have tried the food challenge managing to complete it.

Paul Brayshaw, who runs Paul’s Pizza in Lustrells Vale,was inspired by his love of hot food and TV programme Man vs Food to put the concoction on the menu.

He said tests by Warwick University have found the pizza to rate 3.2million on the Scovell scale – three times hotter than the world’s strongest chilli or police pepper spray.

Mr Brayshaw believes it to be the hottest pizza in the world.

The dish is made of a homemade dough base, regular Italian tomato and herb sauce and fresh mozzarella, before being topped with a secret spicy sauce, hot sauce from Brighton-based Chilli Pepper Pete and a ghost pepper, one of the world’s hottest chillis.

Mr Brayshaw said: “At first the pizza is a nice red tomato colour like any other pizza.

“But adding the sauce turns it an evil black/red.

“I wanted to open a pizza place myself and being a lover of spicy food I thought I would include a challenge on the menu.”

Lips on fire

Christopher Barnard, 28, who lives in Brighton tried the pizza – but only managed to swallow one measly mouthful.

He said: “The pain started before I had even bitten into it. As soon as it touched my lips they were on fire.

“There was no pleasure at all, just pain. It was unbearable, definitely more of a challenge than a treat.

“When I was chewing it I was quite scared about swallowing because I knew it was going to be worse for my insides.

Pain spread

“The pain even spread down my throat, which is really unusual for spicy food.

“After about 20 minutes the pain in my mouth subsided, but the stomach ache started. It was relentless.

“I would never do it again, I wouldn’t wish it on anyone.”

Mr Brayshaw added: “The after effects are worse than eating the pizza. It’s a horrible thing.”

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