There were reports of a bus on fire outside the Southwick Hill Tunnel on the A27 this morning.

But the smoke from the Compass Travel vehicle was actually due to a faulty brake on the vehicle.

The incident caused tailbacks as the road went down to one lane.

Traffic was slow eastbound before the tunnel entrance.

A spokeswoman from East Sussex Fire and Rescue said there were no passengers inside the bus at the time.

Fire crews from Shoreham and Hove went to the scene, though one of the crews was stood down because the bus was smoking heavily rather than being fully on fire.

The initial 999 call came at 7.40am today.

A Sussex Police spokesman said: "A single-decker bus traveling east was reported to be on fire just outside the tunnel's western entrance.

"There were no passengers on board and the driver had been able to exit the vehicle."

A temporary 40mph speed restriction was imposed while the incident was dealt with and the vehicle recovered.

A Compass Travel spokesman said: "The problem was with one of the bus's brake shoes causing a lot of dust. There was definitely no fire."