A conservation group has called for a large urban green space to be included in the new South Downs National Park.

The Benfield Wildlife and Conservation Group wants the park extended south of the Brighton and Hove bypass to include the whole of Benfield Valley in Hove.

Campaigners say including the area would create a "green finger" of land running from close to the centre of the city to downland.

The proposed boundary is expected to follow the line of the existing Sussex Downs area of outstanding natural beauty, which is a few hundred yards south of the bypass where it passes the valley.

Carole Robinson, who chairs the group, said: "At the moment in the valley, only the area of outstanding natural beauty is in. We want it as part of the park. We want it as access to the park, which seems a very sensible move.

"If we have it as part of the park, it is actually part of a green country walk."

The entire valley, from the bypass to the Sainsbury's superstore near the Old Shoreham Road, is earmarked as a country park in Brighton and Hove City Council's new Local Plan.

Detailed national park boundary maps will be published next month at the start of a three-month consultation on the proposals.

Final boundaries will not be published until after the consultation.

It is thought the park itself is unlikely to be created before 2003.