Office workers were evacuated and traffic diverted after a fire broke out in a busy city centre street.

Smoke billowed out on to Queens Road, near Brighton station, after the blaze started yesterday afternoon.

Firefighters using breathing equipment helped to fight the blaze along with crews from ten appliances including two aerial platform units.

The fire is believed to have started in a party wall between a Lloyds TSB office building and a former casino, which is empty.

The six-storey office block was evacuated.

Fire crews tried to contain the fire from Queens Road and also from the back of the buildings in Frederick Place.

At the rear of the former casino the property is used by antiques firm Michael Norman. Specialist cutting equipment was used to cut into the wall cavity to try to locate where the fire started.

Firefighters were tackling the fire into the evening.