A cottage owner has vowed to fight on to stop his property crumbling into the sea.

Builders have begun work to demolish the cottage next to Richard Worsell's as the cliffs at Birling Gap, Eastbourne, continue to erode further towards the terrace of six properties.

But Mr Worsell, 61, said he would continue the battle to get sea defences installed at the foot of the cliff to halt the erosion and save his cottage, next in line, from demolition.

He said: "I know I'm only preserving my cottage.

"I have worked out it only has five or six years left. We will just have to wait and see what happens.

"The National Trust did say they would consider alternative schemes to stop the erosion but they haven't yet. I will just keep plugging away."

Wealden District Council rejected plans to build a concrete retaining wall at the base of the cliff to stop it crumbling. A public inquiry failed to overturn the decision.

Don Holloway, of the Birling Gap Cliff Protection Association, said more than 60,000 people signed a petition supporting the revetment.

He said: "The public inquiry found in favour of Wealden District Council and the National Trust. We have made sure they pull this cottage down with a lot more care than the previous one."

Mr Worsell bought the cottage for £500 a year ago after he discovered the National Trust had offered the owners just £1. He paid a further £900 in legal fees.

He is the only one of the five remaining tenants to own his property. The others are rented from the National Trust.

He said: "Four generations of my family have lived in this area and I thought I would help preserve the cottage's life."

The terrace, known as Crangon Cottages, was built for coastguards 125 years ago and, with 40 years as an auxiliary coastguard under his belt, Mr Worsell has formed a strong attachment.

He said: "I feel quite strongly about the area and I will stay around here if I can."

A spokesman for the association said it would continue its fight to save Birling Gap.