A battle by residents to save a path from their homes to the sea seems destined to fail.

Householders complained when the path linking Devonport Road to Brighton Road, East Worthing, was blocked by a wrought iron gate with a sign stating: "No public right of way."

They launched a campaign to get the path reopened but West Sussex County Council, which has the power to open and close footpaths, looks set to rule against them.

The Ramblers' Association argued the path was important for residents, especially the elderly, because it offered them a shortcut to the seafront and nearby bus stops.

But the council discovered the path was relatively modern, first appearing on Ordnance Survey maps in 1960.

It therefore argued that the public did not have an established right to use the path.