Controversial plans for a teenage asylum seekers' hostel have been put on hold until next month.

Planners will visit the former nursing home in Fitzalan Road, Littlehampton, before making up their minds.

The hostel would house ten 16 to 18-year-olds from war-torn countries such as Sierra Leone and Zimbabwe who are studying at Chichester College.

Each teenager would stay for between four and six months.

But Arun's District Council's development control committee yesterday deferred making a decision after hearing concerns from neighbours.

The house is semi-detached and they are concerned the scheme would lead to noise and aggravation.

Danny Bell, who lives next door, said: "Ten resident teenagers, constantly changing, would change the character of the road and will disrupt our lives."

Neighbour Paul Grant said: "I believe there will be a significant detrimental impact to the community and it will change the nature and intensity of the community.

"There is a significant difference between elderly people and teenagers living there."

But Mike Jones, of the Christian Care Association, which put forward the plans, said a similar hostel in Chichester had had relatively few problems.

He said: "There have been problems of a small nature, once with noise, but these are teenagers and once or twice they turned their music up loud."

A decision will be made at the committee's next meeting on August 13.