A restaurant is hoping to expand on to the site of a former post office that residents campaigned for months to keep open.

Otello restaurant in Church Road, Hove, has submitted plans to be considered by councillors.

The site was the object of much anger and dismay when it closed last year in the wake of a wave of post office cutbacks.

But despite much protesting from residents and councillors the post office remained closed.

Provisional plans are to build eight flats on the upper floors and to extend the restaurant into the old post office on the ground floor.

The new plans include building two more storeys above the restaurant and a four-storey extension at the back of the post office site.

Owner of the freehold for both properties, Saied Abdulkhali, of Otello's restaurant, said he wanted to wait until the proposals were aired at the next planning meeting before discussing the plans.

He said: "Nothing has gone through yet. We have made the adjustments they have asked for but, at the moment, it is still just speculation."

Paul Elgood, leader of the LibDems, said it was a shame to see the post office gone for good.

He said: "The loss of that post office was a great blow to the Hove community and people were very angry about it.

"It's a shame that this has been lost because a post office on that site is the best thing for it.

"The one at the newsagents is really good but it is not a main one and some people find it too far to go.

"It is a pity that this one is dead forever. I urge the owners to rethink."

Post office users were up in arms when the shop closed in May last year after postmistress Margaret Hodgson resigned.

She could no longer afford the rent and after nine years was forced to leave.

Customers had to go to a small sub-post office in Blatchington Road or larger branches in Western Road and Portslade.

They complained of having to queue in the street at the Blatchington Road branch and some elderly people found the other branches were too far away.

However, after much research by Tory councillor Jan Young, a shop in Church Road agreed to open a new sub-post office on its premises.

Taylors Newsagent of Hove opened in January and is run by Sanjiv and Pinkal Patel.

Councillors will consider Otello's planning application at a meeting tomorrow.