A man made an official complaint after being publicly named as an objector to plans for an incinerator.

David Binder, of Peacehaven, was furious to discover a letter he had never written among thousands protesting against a waste burning plant.

Another letter, supposedly from his wife, was also bogus.

He said he could not care less where the incinerator goes and said the fact his name appears on the list of objectors calls into question the legitimacy of more than 15,000 letters from across Sussex against the scheme earmarked for Newhaven.

Mr Binder has called on East Sussex County Council to write to the 15,000-plus formal objectors and confirm their objection, to give a "more accurate" picture of the level of concern.

However, the council and independent body behind the waste plan said the problem was not widespread enough to merit an inquiry.

They said less than half a dozen objections have been found to be bogus.

Mr Binder, who does not want his full address revealed, was shocked to receive a letter last week telling him he and his wife were objecting to the incinerator plan.

He asked to see the objection letters and was sent copies which he said were forgeries.

He said: "They are obviously form letters organised by People Against Pollution. I have never even heard of them.

"They are signed David Binder where I always sign D Binder and they have called my wife Caroline when she is Carol.

"I know I would never have signed this letter because they are against any incinerator going anywhere and my views are that it's going to happen anyway.

"I don't really care where it goes - it has to go somewhere. I would rather have clean seawater.

"I know I'm a cynic but I don't believe that 15,000 people are that bothered to fill in a form - 5,000 would be a more reasonable number."

Ian Blake, project manager for the waste local plan said there was no evidence of significant abuse of the process.

He said: "Whenever we periodically write to objectors, we get letters back saying, 'I don't know what this is about'.

"As a percentage it's probably quite a small number and it doesn't suggest to me that there is any kind of deliberate attempt by protest groups to forge people's objections. It certainly hasn't occurred to us it may be taking place.

"I think people may have been asked to sign things a number of years ago and perhaps weren't aware of what they were signing."

Don Burrell, who set up People Against Pollution in 2000, said people had been asked to sign and send letters.

He said: "We have been campaigning against this incinerator and have asked people to send their own individual letters of protest.

"We have not been sending any letters on people's behalf."