Protesters waving "No to Asda" placards vowed to fight to the bitter end to stop a giant superstore being built on their doorsteps.

Dozens demonstrated on the steps of Worthing Town Hall prior to last night's planning meeting on the hugely controversial £35 million scheme.

Around 130 members of the public packed committee rooms as the borough council's development control committee debated the proposals, which have sparked thousands of complaints.

Asda wants to knock down Worthing College, off Bolsover Road, Durrington, Worthing, and build on the site. Cash from the sale of the land would be used for the construction of a new three-storey college on neighbouring playing fields.

Protester Dennis Elliott, of Melrose Avenue, warned: "It will destroy the local shops and create traffic chaos."

Marion Winter, of Frobisher Way, said: "The shops will go out of business and environmentally it will be a disaster."

Giles Marriott, manager of the newsagent at the nearby Strand shopping precinct, said: "I think it is absolutely preposterous. The traders would like to see a new college but not at the cost of selling their soul to a multi-national conglomerate like Asda.

"We shall fight it to the bitter end."

However, the council's planning experts urged councillors to back the Asda development in an 86-page report.

Councillors were previously criticised when they failed to consider plans for the store and college in the time allotted by the Government.

This gave Asda and Worthing College the right to appeal directly to Whitehall, forcing a public inquiry and taking the decision out of local hands.

The college argued it desperately needed modern facilities and this was the only way of paying for them.

Peter Corrigan, principal of Worthing College, said before the meeting: "We have got 1,400 16 to 18-year-olds and we can't carry on in these buildings.

"We have put measures in to try to reduce the impact."

Asda said the store would create 450 new jobs.

The public inquiry is expected to start in April 2006.