A Hove landlord was horrified when two drunk men held guns to each other's heads in his car park. 

The two men were spotted outside The Nevill pub in Hove before leaving in a car and crashing into another vehicle as they left.

John Pendry, owner of the pub in Nevill Road, told his staff to call 999.

Mr Pendry, who has run the pub with his family for the past four years, said: “These two chancers came into the car park and had been drinking.

“They had guns. They were not regulars.

“We are working with police. We have a zero tolerance approach to drugs, guns and any like behaviour.

“This is a family pub and we have worked incredibly hard to improve it. We have invested a lot of money in it.”

It is not believed the men were playing Russian Roulette when they were spotted in the car park on Tuesday evening.

Two men were stopped by armed police in nearby King George VI Avenue, known as Snakey Hill, Hove, and searched on the ground after the incident on Tuesday evening. Police were at the pub yesterday as inquiries continued.

One man who saw the two arrested men being searched in Snakey Hill said: “I witnessed the aftermath of the police stopping a small car.

“Officers from the force's tactical firearms units stopped the car and the suspects were lying on the ground whilst they were searched.

“Two dog units were also present.”

A Sussex Police spokeswoman said they were called out at 10.20pm She said: “Police were called after two men left a pub in Hove and drove off having been drinking and holding a gun to each other's heads.

“Police searched for the vehicle while the tactical firearms unit waited to carry out a stop check. The car then hit another car in Neville Road and two men were arrested by firearms officers.

“A 24-year-old man from Hangleton was arrested on suspicion of possession of a firearm and drink driving and a 22-year-old man from Hove was arrested on suspicion of possession of a bladed article and a firearm.

Both men remained in police custody yesterday.