A Tory election hopeful has condemned a council's opposition to the new community stadium at Falmer.

Rory Love, who aims to unseat Lewes Liberal Democrat MP Norman Baker, branded Lewes District Council's decision to spend £35,000 fighting Brighton and Hove Albion's stadium application as "a complete and utter waste of local taxpayers' money."

The public inquiry into the issue resumes in February.

Mr Love said: "Lewes District Council has already made its representations about Falmer.

"Whichever side you're on - and I'm fully supporting the stadium - the district council spending more money is purely wasteful. It's quite outrageous."

Mr Love said the 22,000-seat community stadium near Falmer station would not cause chaos but would provide jobs and benefits for many people.

Dr Richard Black, Labour's prospective parliamentary candidate for Lewes, also supports the stadium plans but Mr Baker, who has a majority of almost 10,000, opposes the scheme.