A man has been arrested after police raided a squat used by 40 people.

Officers discovered heroin and needles when they searched The Where House, a three-storey abandoned nightclub and caf, in an alleyway behind Burger King off Duke Street, Brighton, yesterday.

They swooped on the building after monitoring it for weeks and evicted eight people.

A 34-year-old unemployed man was arrested for possession of class A drugs and is being held in custody.

Inspector Nev Kemp said: "In the past we have been refused access but today the door was left open and we entered."

A note pinned to the wall inside warned squatters to make sure the door was properly closed behind them.

Insp Kemp said officers had rung the bell at night and squatters had looked out of a window but refused to let them in when they realised who they were.

He said it was the only known squat in central Brighton and had been used for three or four weeks.

He said: "It was something we were concerned about and we won't tolerate squats in Brighton. If we had not gone in, it would have grown and there would have been connections with crime - that is what we have found in the past."

Police and fire safety officers entered the building at 4pm.

As officers guarded the building, suitcases and plastic bags stuffed with clothes were thrown from a window on to the street as the six men, two women and a dog left.

Officers have contacted Brighton and Hove City Council to find out who the owners are and the windows and doors have been boarded up.