Christmas shoppers face parking chaos at the weekend after arsonists struck at a multi-storey car park.

Flames ripped through electricity cables and a lift shaft after a Vauxhall Cavalier in the Teville Gate car park in Worthing was torched last night.

Police saw five youths aged around 15 or 16 running away.

Leading Firefighter Andrew Weeks said: "The fire has done quite a bit of damage. It burnt the electrics down, blackened the ceilings and wrecked the car.

"It caused so much trouble because the car was parked in the middle of the multi-storey."

The fire is likely to wreak havoc among Christmas shoppers in the town planning to take advantage of the free park and ride scheme run from the car park.

Last month the High Street car park in Worthing was subjected to a similar attack which cost the council thousands of pounds in repair work and lost car parking fees. Parts of it are still closed.

Council environmental services client manager Les Mockford said: "The last time this happened we had to shut the car park completely for four days and it's still costing us.

"This car park isn't usually as popular as the High Street one but in the run up to Christmas it gets very busy because of the Saturday park and ride scheme."