Residents of a Brighton estate have declared their independence from the UK.

In a modern version of the Ealing comedy Passport To Pimlico - in which Londoners, led by Stanley Holloway, break away from Britain - Whitehawk has proclaimed itself an independent country.

An official declaration of independence has been posted by a group calling itself The Progressive People's Party of East Brighton (PPPOEB).

The document says all land in Whitehawk and Manor Farm previously governed by Brighton and Hove Council will become the Independent Federation of Whitehawk and Manor Farm.

The new federation will be ruled by a president, Count Maximillion von Vaughen.

But while copies of the official proclamation have been sent to everyone from Tony Blair and Kemp Town MP Des Turner to local councillor Catherine Shelley and broadcaster Simon Fanshawe, there will be no war of independence.

Count von Vaughen is in real life Max Vaughan, vice-chairman of Whitehawk Residents' Association, and he is simply poking fun at the powers that be.

Mr Vaughan said the idea came from the growing amount of control residents in East Brighton are being encouraged to take over their communities.

He said: "If Brighton and Hove can be a city we think Whitehawk and Manor Farm can be an independent federation, but it was really just a joke.

"Most people have had a good laugh at the declaration but some have come up to me and asked if it is true.

"I suppose it is possible because we have the Whitehawk Pound (a non-monetary system used to trade skills and home-made goods for other goods and services in east Brighton) and are a part of the New Deal co-operative, which allows people to run their own estates."

The council however, does not seem overly worried about the new breakaway state.

A Brighton and Hove Council spokesman said: "Count Von Vaughen has been a major figure in the area for many years. We were not aware of his plans for succession but we very much hope he will still be prepared to work with us on a cross-border basis."

Whitehawk councillor Catherine Shelley said: "I think the declaration of independence is great fun. What's really nice about it is that it is promoting pride in the community - an aim I really support."

Whitehawk is the second place in Sussex to declare independence this year.

In January, to celebrate the new millennium, Ashurst Wood, near East Grinstead, became the People's Republic of Ashurst Wood Nation State - also known as PRAWNS.

It set up border controls and customs barriers and villagers signed a declaration of independence.