A man is critically ill in hospital after he was found with a possible brain injury in a police cell.

Garry Reynolds, 39, from Southwick, was arrested in the early hours of Sunday morning for being drunk and disorderly and assaulting a police officer.

He was taken to police custody at Hollingbury but was discovered seriously ill in his cell later in the morning.

Police are piecing together his movements on Saturday night after he left a party at the Rock pub in Rock Street, Kemp Town, at about midnight.

He was seen walking towards Chesham Road.

Mr Reynolds has a distinctive 'blown pupil', where one of his eyes had turned almost completely white.

The condition is associated with serious brain injuries such as stroke.

He was next seen getting into a taxi in Eastern Road, Brighton at about 1.50am.

At about 2.35am the taxi driver pulled over and asked police in West Street for help.

Mr Reynolds was arrested and taken to custody.

The Independent Police Complaints Commission is investigating the period Mr Reynolds spent in the care of the police.

When he was found in his cell just after 11am he was unconscious and police officers raised the alarm after noticing his condition had deteriorated.

Both Sussex Police and the IPCC are appealing for information from the public.

Police are asking anyone who saw him in Brighton between midnight and 1.50am on Sunday morning, or who has any information about his wherabouts at that time, to contact them on 0845 60 70 999, quoting Operation Flansham.

Alternatively, people can call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111, where they do not have to leave their name.

The IPCC wants to hear from witnesses in West Street who may have seen Mr Reynolds arrival in the taxi and his subsequent arrest.

They are asked to call 0800 096 9071 or email brighton.witnessappeal@ipcc.gov.uk Mr Reynolds is described as 6ft 1in, thin, with ginger hair and one missing front tooth.

IPCC Commissioner Nicola Williams said: "We urgently need to hear from anyone who may have seen anything of this incident which happened at a time when the town centre was busy with revellers."