More than 300 angry residents met in a show of strength against plans for a multi-million-pound sewage treatment works.

Representing more than three- fifths of the 550 families of Ovingdean, east of Brighton, they packed the village hall to hear the full extent of Southern Water's proposed development.

The water company sparked anger by formally unveiling eight possible locations between central Brighton and Newhaven for a waste water and sludge recycling centre.

Residents in Ovingdean, who have already launched a campaign opposing the proposals, were told by Councillor David Smith that Ovingdean was Southern Water's "number one" site to build the sewage treatment works to provide cleaner water off Brighton.

The water company needs the £200 million works to treat the 95 million litres of sewage and waste water generated each day in Brighton and Hove to a higher standard before pumping it out to sea.

The suggested site is next to the Ovingdean roundabout on the A259 South Coast Road between Roedean School and St Dunstan's.

Southern Water says no buildings need to be demolished, the site is close to the coast, near the main sewer, and can easily be covered over once construction is complete.

There were gasps of horror as Coun Smith said the development would mean cutting out a huge chunk of downland, taking out millions of tons of earth and erecting a building the height of a five-storey block of flats on an area the size of four football pitches.

It would take three to four years to build and involve thousands of lorry movements.

Coun Smith was applauded at Saturday's meeting when he said: "I am proud to be called a nimby if it means I am protecting the area and the heritage I love."

Campaigners who successfully opposed Southern Water's plans to build a similar works by expanding the existing works at Portobello, Telscombe Cliffs, told the meeting how they fought the proposal.

Residents of Ovingdean were angry the full extent of meetings between Southern Water and Brighton and Hove and East Sussex councils had been kept secret.

Jeff Hynam, bursar at Roedean School, said it had not been contacted about the proposal and had only recently discovered the proposed works was on land it owned.

Hundreds of pounds was raised for a fighting fund in a collection at the end of the meeting.

Southern Water's possible sites are at Shoreham Harbour, Black Rock, Lower Sheepcote Valley, Upper Sheepcote Valley, Ovingdean South, Peacehaven East, Brookside Farm Tip and North Quay.