A BIN lorry had to be emptied in the street after waste inside was on fire.

Residents awoke to find the rubbish dumped in a smouldering heap on the street outside their homes in Cross Road in Southwick.

There were fears the lorry might catch fire, so all the waste inside the lorry had to be emptied.

Meanwhile the road was closed while fire crews were called in to damp down the waste.

Lucy Armfield was among those who saw what happened.

She said: “We were a bit concerned, we saw the lorry coming past with smoke coming out.

“It dumped the rubbish into the road, then ten minutes later the fire brigade came.

“The road was closed and my neighbour’s drive was blocked. The firefighters were there for about 20 minutes.

“It was recycling waste, and we thought a fire might have started because of a firework or something.

“Then council workers have arrived and have been shovelling it by hand into two vans to clear it all.

“I have two little boys, and it has been quite an exciting Monday morning for them.”