A rise in the number of new houses in Burgess Hill means some children may not be able to attend their first-choice school.

West Sussex County Council is to alter the catchment areas for the town's primary schools because of a sharp increase in new homes in the west of the town.

Schools there are oversubscribed while those in the east are not being filled.

Overall, Burgess Hill has about 400 more primary school places than children.

Gattons Infant School and Southway Junior School are oversubscribed but there are not enough children in the Sheddingdean, Manor Field and Birchwood Grove areas to fill the schools there.

Education officer Phil Whiffing said: "We have had to tweak all the schools because in some parts of the town there are more kids living and in others there are far more places than there are children and unfortunately some families could have missed out.

"Catchment areas only come in when the school is over-subscribed. The idea of a catchment is there is a school place close to everyone's home.

"If you have children at one school and they have a brother or a sister you will still have some priority. It affects people who have not started at school or been in the school system.

"There is no need for anyone to change schools."

Mid Sussex district councillor David Shevels said: "It will redress the balance but there are going to be unhappy parents."