A bomb scare closed a busy car park for more than seven hours.

Car owners were unable to return to their vehicles after a suspicious package was discovered in a vehicle at the Regency Square car park in Brighton.

Police sealed off the underground car park opposite the West Pier after a cylindrical metal object was discovered on the back seat of a Mercedes on Friday at 4.30pm.

It was spotted by a finance company representative who is believed to have gone to the NCP-run car park to repossess the Mercedes.

He became suspicious after spotting wires coming from the cylinder and alerted police.

The car park was evacuated and sealed off while Army bomb disposal experts were called in.

A team from the Royal Logistic Corps arrived shortly after 9pm and used a robot to check out the suspicious object.

The cylinder was x-rayed and found not to contain explosives, before the car park was re-opened and motorists allowed to collect their vehicles at around 11.38pm.

Among those waiting were Sara Watson, of Cromwell Road, Hove, and her parents George and Irene Watson, who were visiting her from their home in Durham.

They were stranded in The Regency Restaurant after leaving their car in the Regency Square car park while they went for a meal.

Mr Watson said: "A police car was just going into the car park ahead of us when we drove in there.

"We followed it in and parked the car and then came for a nice meal at the restaurant.

"They closed the car park and we had to wait in the restaurant."

Inspector Dick Skelton said: "The company repossessing the Mercedes said they had found a cylindrical object with wires coming from it on the back seat.

"We called in Army bomb disposal experts."

A Sussex Police spokesman said: "We can confirm that the metal tube did not contain explosives and there was no danger to the public."

May 16, 2005