Paramedics taking part in industrial action in Sussex have been banned from working overtime by ambulance bosses.

Sussex Ambulance Service NHS Trust (SAST) has been sending employees home who refuse to abandon their action when working overtime.

Members of trade unions Unison and the Association of Professional Ambulance Personnel (APAP) reinstated industrial action at 7pm on Thursday, after voting to reject a pay deal.

The move means about 600 members are refusing to provide stand-by cover at remote roadside locations not adequately served by ambulance stations.

The action means it will take ambulances longer to reach more rural areas.

Workers are also refusing to record response times or work outside their designated group of stations.

Unions decided against a ban on overtime because of the heightened risk of terrorist attacks.

On Thursday night, however, SAST said ambulance workers not prepared to abandon their industrial action while working overtime would not be allowed to work the additional hours at all.

Operations director Trevor Anderson said: "We have told them is it would be inappropriate for them to take industrial action during their overtime.

"We feel it is morally wrong for them to expect to be paid when they are not working a normal overtime shift."

Unison and APAP are seeking legal advice.