A councillor has dismissed calls for his resignation as "nonsense".

Lib Dem David Rogers, who represents Newhaven, said he would not step down from the county council despite renewed calls for his resignation today.

Eastbourne MP Nigel Waterson joined the campaign after county council leader Peter Jones, blamed Coun Rogers and former Cabinet member for social services David Tutt for a damning report on the state of the social services.

Mr Waterson said: "The report makes very dismal reading and is a damning indictment of the previous Liberal Democrat regime.

"I know at first hand from my constituency casework the pain caused to individuals who were denied the care they needed. In some cases they passed away before they could receive the care they were entitled.

"It is time for Coun Rogers and Coun Tutt to go."

The report from the Audit Commission found fault with the county's provision of care for the elderly, though praised its services for children.

But today Coun Rogers, former Lib Dem leader of the council, said decisions around the social services budget had been made by the Cabinet and was not down to two members.

He said: "The Conservatives have been running the council for more than a year. What they did in this year's budget was to cut £3.9 million from social services, upsetting many voluntary groups."