TWO train stations will be closed during the Brighton and Hove Pride weekend.

At last year's event thousands of people were left stranded in the city as rail services struggled to cope with swarming crowds.

Some were forced to spend the night on the beach as they could not get home.

Now Southern Rail has revealed two Brighton stations will be shut during the Pride weekend.

A Southern Rail spokesman said: "Southern services will be extremely busy with people and rainbow unicorns travelling to celebrate the colourful and glittering event.

"Preston Park and London Road stations will be closed all day on August 3 and 4 (Saturday and Sunday) and no trains will call there until Monday 5 August.

"Colour coded queuing systems will be in place at Brighton station.

"We recommend that you allow extra time and avoid travelling during peak hours.

"We all have a light within ourselves, remember to share yours with the world. From all of us at Southern, we wish you a wonderful Pride."

Govia Thameslink Railway has promised precautions are being taken to prevent a repeat of last year's experience.

GTR said it would be running extra trains late into the night with capacity for 10,000 extra passengers into London after 10.30pm.

Trains will run through the night right into the Sunday morning timetable, according to National Rail Enquiries, and all except one train will be longer than normal full-length 12 carriage services.

There will also be a better queuing system in place at Brighton station, GTR said.

Brighton and Hove Pride's managing director Paul Kemp said: "Lots of lessons were learned from last year and there have been a lot of extra resources put into planning queuing systems outside the station.

"There is also an enhanced service by GTR, certainly on the Brighton Main Line back to London where a lot of people do come down from.

"We are confident, working with our partners, that the plan is a good one and people will be able to access the city in a safe and orderly manner."