Two men have been charged with kidnapping a man in Brighton.

Gazmend Mula, 29, of Temple Street, Brighton, has been charged with conspiracy to kidnap and possession with intent to supply a Class A drug.

Ilir Hasa, 23, of Denmark Villas, Hove, has been charged with conspiracy to kidnap and possession of an offensive weapon.

Both were remanded in custody to appear at Brighton Magistrates' Court this morning.

It follows an incident last Sunday where a man, believed to be Albanian, was seen to be bundled into a Vauxhall Astra with the registration number HN05 FPY in Princes Terrace, Brighton, after he got out of a taxi in the road.

The Vauxhall involved in the kidnapping was found parked in Benett Avenue, Hove, on Thursday afternoon. It is currently being forensically examined but officers are still trying to trace exactly where it has been since Sunday evening.

Detectives believe the victim could have been a regular in betting shops in the city.

Witnesses have told officers investigating the incident they recognise the man, who is still missing, but so far officers have been unable to identify him.

Officers are speaking to staff and customers at betting shops in Brighton and Hove after a number of people said they recognised the man in the CCTV as someone who had been a regular gambler in the city in the weeks before the kidnapping.

They are also contacting hospitals in the region in case the victim has been taken there or has taken himself there after being injured by the kidnappers.

Police believe a man caught on CCTV in Queen Square, Brighton, could be the victim.

The footage shows him with another man close to the taxi rank in the road shortly after 5.30pm on Sunday.

The man with the beard and sunglasses in the CCTV is suspected to be the victim. The second man may have seen the kidnapping happen.

The next part of the footage was recorded on security cameras in Princes Terrace shortly before 6pm. It features two men standing next to a parked red car in the road.

When a white taxi pulls up close by, the men move towards it. The footage then cuts to a white Vauxhall Astra parked nearby.

A number of men get out of the vehicle and go out of the view of the camera.

A group of figures are then seen dragging another man to the Vauxhall and forcing him inside before the car is driven off.

Detective Chief Inspector Mark Preston said: "We are becoming increasingly concerned for the victim as we still have no idea if he has been harmed.

"We are confident that the man with the beard and glasses in the CCTV is the victim but still do not know who he is or where he could be.

"It is possible that if he has been harmed he could have made his way to hospital for treatment, either in Brighton or somewhere else in the south east, so we are keen to speak to any medical staff or patients that might have seen him.

"We also need to speak to any betting shop staff or customers who might recognise him from the CCTV.

"If you remember seeing him or know who or where he is, please contact us urgently."

Anyone with information should email 101@sussex.pnn.police.uk, call 101 quoting Operation Wave or contact the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111.