Brighton and Hove Police said at 3.30pm on Friday (August 18) that officers were responding to an incident in the Westbourne Villas area. "We have a cordon in place and Westbourne Villas to the south of the A259 junction of New Church Road is closed,” a police spokesperson said. “A number of surrounding roads have also been closed. Please avoid the area at this time.” In an update at 8pm, police revealed emergency services were responding to a ‘report of a suspicious package’ in New Church Road, Hove. A statement read: “The Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) unit attended the scene and carried out a controlled explosion. "The area was declared safe and the roads re-opened. Thank you for your patience.”