Pressure is slowly mounting on the Government to overturn its rulings on airport expansion and traffic-busting schemes.

A delegation from West Sussex County Council and other councils were meeting transport minister Tony McNulty in Whitehall today with a message that West Sussex roads could grind to a halt.

One point of contention is Transport Secretary Alistair Darling's rejection of bypasses at Chichester and Arundel and tunnels at Worthing and Lancing, all notorious bottlenecks on the A27.

The delegation was being led by Tex Pemberton, county council executive for transport, who was also urging the minister to help block extra runways at Gatwick.

Last week Tim Loughton, Tory MP for East Worthing and Shoreham, led a team of Worthing councillors and business representatives to Whitehall to discuss the A27.

He said: "The Government thinks that with a little tinkering it can put realistic, long-term solutions on the back burner. We are saying there have got to be changes, otherwise the whole county will grind to a halt."

Gatwick was originally excluded from the Government's airport plans because of a legal ruling which prevented expansion until 2019.

But a judicial review overturned the verdict.

An aviation White Paper is expected at the end of the year with the Government's decision on the future of Gatwick.

In a written statement, Coun Pemberton said: "Alistair Darling has said that environmental factors were the reason for turning down the A27 schemes.

"If that is the case then surely this must equally apply to further runways at Gatwick?

"The meeting with the minister will be a chance for him to hear at first hand how bitterly disappointed we were with Mr Darling's decision to reject the findings of the Government's own study into the A27."