A cleaner at a top hotel suffered severe burns to her arms when highly corrosive chemicals exploded as she cleared out a drain.

Health and Safety officials are investigating the accident at the Hilton Metropole Hotel on Brighton seafront just before 10.30am today.

The woman is believed to have been pouring the cleaning chemicals down the drain when there was a small explosion.

She was splashed by the highly corrosive cleaning agent.

Fire appliances from Brighton's Preston Circus station were sent to the scene and cleared away some of the spilt fluid.

The woman was taken to the Royal Sussex County Hospital by ambulance where she was treated for chemical burns.