Parents fear their children's lives are being put at risk by delays to repair work at their flats.

Broken and missing gates and fences mean children living at a hostel for homeless families have to be supervised whenever they play in the back garden.

Parents say the broken gates could allow children as young as two access to the busy A259 coast road, just outside the hostel in Albion Street, Southwick.

Missing fence panels in the back garden mean they would be able to get on to an embankment leading to the main South Coast railway line.

Joanne Banks, 24, and her eight-year-old daughter, Taylia-Ann, moved into the hostel in September.

Joanne said: "I reported the problem to Adur District Council soon after I moved in and other parents have done the same. I keep reminding them but eight weeks have passed and still nothing has been done.

"The council is putting our children's lives at risk by not repairing the gates and fences.

"I found my daughter on the embankment and have made it clear that she is not to go up there again."

A council spokeswoman said a senior housing officer had visited the hostel and repairs would be carried out within two weeks.

She said: "We first became aware of the problems at the hostel eight weeks ago.

"There have been difficulties with the former maintenance contractors to whom the jobs were allocated.

"The council has appointed a new contractor and will put the repairs right within two weeks."