Demolition has finally started on an eyesore site after five years of wrangling between developers and planners.

The bulldozers this week began levelling the old Sunblest and Jaycee furniture factories off Falmer Road, Woodingdean.

Sunblest closed its building in 1996 and Jaycee followed two years later.

The new Woodingdean Business Park which will replace them is expected to provide hundreds of jobs.

The project is being developed by Midlands-based company St Modwen.

Residents have for years been complaining about the state of the site as it became increasingly derelict.

Firefighters were repeatedly called to the old Sunblest factory.

Roedean fire station watch commander Mike Collins said: "We are delighted the bakery is coming down.

"We have been called to blazing dumped cars, tyre and rubbish fires. They even had unofficial raves in the building."