A watchdog has backed selling a popular visitor attraction which is running at a loss.

But the East Sussex County Council scrutiny committee said it wanted Bentley Wildfowl and Motor Museum at Halland, near Lewes, to stay open this summer.

A draft report for the council's ruling Cabinet, which meets on Tuesday, recommends selling the loss-making attraction, which was gifted to the authority in 1978.

Matthew Lock, who chairs the transport and environment scrutiny committee, said: "Our feeling is that while the council is looking for a buyer, Bentley should be kept open."

The scrutiny committee agreed Bentley should be declared surplus to requirements and councillors decide on a policy to find the best price.

Coun Lock said operating the attraction was not among the council's core activities and further spending would not be an effective use of resources.

He said: "We haven't got a full picture of what is going on but we feel it is important that scrutiny expresses its views."

The council hopes to save £135,000 a year if it stops operating Bentley, which includes one of Britain's largest collections of wildfowl, a motor museum, gardens, antiques and paintings.

Bentley was given to the authority by Mary Askew, 95, who still lives at the house, in memory of her late husband Gerald.

As reported in The Argus, she has attacked plans to sell the attraction - which receives about 55,000 visitors a year - saying it should be kept for the people of Sussex.