A political row has broken out over a proposed East Sussex landfill site which has sparked a wave of protest from neighbours.

Ashdown Brickworks, in Turkey Road, Bexhill, is prepared to use its land as a landfill site.

But company secretary Stephen Hardy is a Lib Dem district councillor for Bodiam and Ewhurst, where he has been a vocal campaigner against a planned incinerator.

Councillors and MPs branded Mr Hardy a "hypocrite" at an angry protest outside the brickworks joined 100 demonstrators including Tory MP Gregory Barker.

They claim landowners Ibstock also plan to build an incinerator on the site.

But Mr Hardy refuted the claim and insisted he faced no conflict of interests.

Mr Barker said: "We want some clarification of the issue here from the chief executive of Ibstock. We are against any sort of incinerator or landfill site being used at Ashdown Brickworks.

"It seems extraordinary that a Liberal Democrat, wearing his big business hat, has agreed with the landfill site proposals yet he vigorously campaigns against an incinerator in Mountfield.

"There appears to be a conflict of interest. I want to get to the bottom of this as I am against a waste unit being built in the area."

Joanne Gadd, a Conservative district councillor, said: "I can't believe the cheek of it.

"It is a narrow country lane. There is no way that lorries can get up and down and the smell would be horrifying."

Her husband Brian, the county councillor for West Bexhill, said: "I think there could be a definite conflict of interest.

"It's absolutely ludicrous to put a landfill site or an incinerator on Turkey Road. It seems very strange. He has tried to put off plans to build an incinerator in his own patch but is more than happy to have one here."

Graham Guppy, Tory leader of Rother District Council, added: "It seems his business interests come before the interests of Rother."

Mr Hardy said: "There is no plan for an incinerator. We have spoken to East Sussex County Council and, yes, we are prepared to have a landfill site here.

"I'm not a county councillor so there is no conflict of interest. It's a Conservative-run council anyway, so what say would I have?"