A supermarket chain has warned that Worthing could lose £1 million in new leisure facilities after councillors pulled out of talks.

Asda said it was "disappointed" that discussions with Worthing College would cease.

The decision to halt informal discussions was taken by Worthing Borough Council's executive committee as controversial plans to build a supermarket on the college site in Bolsover Road took shape.

Ruling councillors said a review should be carried out into how the council spends private money on sport and leisure from major developments in the borough.

Worthing College wants to sell its sport fields to Asda to make way for a new superstore and use council land for its games lessons.

The supermarket chain said it regretted the decision as it put £1m of investment in sports facilities in jeopardy.

Naomi Duggan, from Asda, said: "This decision effectively deprives the people of Worthing of the quality of sports facilities that they deserve.

"The executive has rejected a potential £1m investment in improved leisure facilities without any credible justification, without identifying alternative sources of funding and without real public debate."

She said councillors were given only 24 hours to look at the report which meant that informed debate on its contents was impossible.