POLICE closed the main A259 South Coast Road in Peacehaven after reports that a large Second World War bomb had been discovered on a building site.

Emergency services rushed to the scene shortly after 6pm on Wednesday and traffic was soon queueing all the way back to Newhaven and Rottingdean.

Some residents were evacuated from their homes.

Police said: "The device, possibly containing up to 1,000lbs of high explosive, was unearthed by workers on a building site.

Explosive Ordnance Disposal experts have been called in and a 200 metre exclusion zone has been created around the location."

Witness Alex Phillips, 27, of nearby Phyllis Avenue, Peacehaven, said: “I was at home and I could suddenly hear all this talking outside.

“I grabbed my camera and went out and there was already traffic blocking the road.

“Diversions were in place and traffic was going through Malines Avenue but that soon became blocked.

“I then saw the bomb squad turn up and they said apparently it was an unexploded World war Two bomb.”

The factory worker said he thought that workmen had made the discovery while carrying out repair work.

Temporary traffic lights were already in place for roadworks near to the scene.

Another motorist contacted the Argus to describe the chaos.

He said: “I left Brighton city centre at about 6.30pm and when I got to the scene it was absolute chaos.

“Nobody seemed to know what had happened and the cars were piled up all the way down the road.

“Locals had come out of their houses to try and find out what was going on.

“There were crowds of people standing out on the streets and others were

looking through their curtains.”

Reports on social media said the bomb disposal squad was attending a building site at the end of Hoddern Avenue.