Residents of Saltdean have voted to be part of the city of Brighton and Hove.

The unique postal referendum of 3,854 households saw 1,237 vote in favour of unifying west and east Saltdean and 312 against.

Residents also voted overwhelmingly to become part of Brighton and Hove as opposed to Lewes by 1,018 votes to 196.

There was a 39.2 per cent response to the postal referendum, which was counted last night at the Saltdean Community Centre.

At present the community of Saltdean, stretching from Rottingdean Heights to Telscombe Tye, is controlled by Brighton and Hove Council in the west, and Lewes District, Telscombe Town and East Sussex County councils in the east. The dividing line is Longridge Avenue.

The Local Government Commission has yet to start its review of the Saltdean boundary and today its chief executive Barbara Stephens warned residents not to have their expectations raised by the poll.

She said: "The external boundaries of a local authority can only be considered after a direction from the Secretary of State. We cannot consider the external boundaries until after the current programme of electoral reviews in 2004.

"Then it is up to whether the Secretary of State directs such a review. There is no guarantee he or she will.

"I am concerned the expectation of residents may have been raised by such a poll which has no jurisdiction over the actual boundaries.

"I was not personally opposed to the poll but worried time, money and effort was being wasted because the procedures needed for any local authority boundary changes have to be followed."

For years there has been a debate as to whether Saltdean should be unified.

Chairman of Saltdean Residents' Association Don Burrell said: "I am very pleased with the turnout. Many councillors and politicians would like to get that kind of turnout in an election."

Des Turner, MP for Brighton Kemp Town, which traverses the Saltdean boundary said: "The result very much supports the local Labour Party view that the current boundary between east and west Saltdean is an artificial and incoherent one."