A double barrier at the Beddingham railway level crossing, on the A27 near Lewes, would cause gridlock and chaos, a Government minister has been told.

Lewes MP Norman Baker met transport minister John Spellar at Westminster to express concern about the possibility of replacing the single barriers with double ones.

The Railway Inspectorate, which is responsible for safety on the rail network, has suggested the double barriers on the line to Eastbourne to prevent motorists weaving between the present two barriers.

The barriers could be down for more than 30 minutes in the hour at peak time.

Mr Baker says this would cause tailbacks to Polegate and Falmer and beyond and traffic would switch to less suitable routes through Glynde, Ringmer, Kingston and Rodmell.

He said: "There are alternatives which could make the crossing safer, including the use of CCTV cameras, now installed, traffic lights to control access to the crossing and sensors under the road.

"A solid barrier could be installed either side of the crossing to prevent any weaving and dodging through the barriers."

The Lewes MP also warned the study proposals themselves were flawed, both because of the impact on the landscape and because the A27 roundabout at Southerham, just outside Lewes, could not cope with the extra volumes of traffic anticipated.

Mr Baker said: "The impact on the road network will be catastrophic if these double barriers are introduced.

"I am grateful the minister listened carefully to what I had to say.

"I am confident he will now be exploring alternatives that do not bring instant gridlock to the road network for miles around."