Brighton and Hove is losing out to other towns because its coach station is so shabby, it was claimed today.

Transport boss Howard Trevette, whose company renovated Pool Valley after taking over the lease five years ago, is calling for the coach station site to be urgently revamped.

He also wants to use Black Rock and Madeira Drive as a coach and car park in a bid to improve the welcome for visitors to the city.

He said: "We do not have the proper infrastructure to make Brighton attractive for coach operators.

"Because of this, hundreds of thousands of pounds is being lost annually to Worthing, Eastbourne and Bournemouth."

He said money from coach parking could be ploughed into revitalising Pool Valley but warned unless help was forthcoming Pool Valley may have to close.

The council said it was keen to encourage coach travel to the city and was updating its transport strategy. It also suggested Mr Trevette could fund improvements to Pool Valley.

Mr Trevette's company spent thousands of pounds on renovating the coach station.

After initial help from the council, the coach station received more cash to decorate toilets and the outside.

He said: "All other costs are met by ourselves and we do not receive any subsidies.

"The result of the underfunding is that the coach station is now looking very shabby, "Shelters are damaged, seats are broken, bus indicator signs are missing and the outside is in need of decoration.

"Street lighting is inadequate and the whole area is slowly reverting to its former poor state of repair.

"As one of the gateways to the city, it sets a bad example of what we have to offer."