A parish council's tradition of meeting in the local pub could be under threat.

A parishioner has complained to police that councillors in East Chiltington, near Lewes, are acting illegally by holding their meetings in The Jolly Sportsman.

Michael Holden, 85, pointed out a paragraph in the 1972 Local Government Act which prohibits meetings on licensed premises.

Mr Holden, who is teetotal, said although council meetings were held when the pub was closed it was still not a suitable venue.

He said: "People have funny behaviour in pubs and you will get a carry-on of the drinking culture into the meetings because people will think they are still in the pub.

"I attended an extraordinary parish council meeting about a fortnight ago at The Jolly Sportsman and there were a lot of people waving glasses of ale around.

"The council chairman assured me none of the members had been drinking but as far as I was concerned it was a party."

Parish clerk Graham Whittaker said the village school and church were unsuitable.

The district solicitor at Lewes council, Catherine Knight, had told him they were within the law if there was nowhere else available.

Mr Whittaker said: "It's not at all easy to change the time and place of a council meeting to suit everybody concerned. The Jolly Sportsman does not charge us and that keeps our costs down."

Mr Holden's letter of complaint and Ms Knight's advice were read out at the start of the last meeting.

Vice-chairman Nigel Welby said: "No arrests were made at the meeting - in fact, no police turned up at all."

He said Mr Holden had written a letter the week before pointing out that the notices of a meeting had been pinned up late on two of the village's three noticeboards and the meeting was subsequently cancelled.

Mr Welby said: "It's good to know we have someone keeping an eye on us and making sure we do everything properly. It keeps us on our toes."

Bruce Wass, owner of The Jolly Sportsman, said: "We are part of the village and I feel I am helping the community."