The Italian Job came to Sussex yesterday when a tipping bus was balanced on the top of the De La Warr Pavilion in Bexhill.

The exhibition mimicks the finale to the classic Michael Caine film.

Eddie Izzard, who is from Bexhill, is believed to have spent about £70,000 on the exhibition as the event’s main sponsor.

The exhibition is called “Hang On A Minute Lads, I’ve Got A Great Idea...” after the final words spoken by Caine in the film.

In the film, the coach swerves off the road and teeters over a cliff edge in the Italian Alps, while carrying a gang of robbers and their stash of gold.

The vehicle used in the exhibition will be painted in the British team colours of red, white and blue as part of the London 2012 Olympic celebrations.

Mr Izzard said: “As a huge fan of the classic film The Italian Job, I am proud to be the principal sponsor.

“I think this is a perfect time to hang a large bus off the edge of a building in a seaside town.”

Arts Council England said it has given the project a grant of £50,000. The Henry Moore Foundation is also supporting it.