The owners of a hotel used for housing asylum seekers have appealed after their plan to convert it into flats was thrown out.

The management of the Jevington Hotel in Eastbourne said the building was no longer viable as a hotel.

They submitted plans to Eastbourne Borough Council to convert the property at Jevington Gardens into 19 self-contained flats.

But the council said the proposals went against the Eastbourne Borough Plan, which states tourist accommodation should not be allowed to be converted. Now the owners will appeal.

A hotel spokesman said: "The general condition of the hotel, plus the cost of refurbishment, means the hotel is no longer suitable for tourist use."

The spokesman said the hotel had reluctantly agreed to house asylum seekers because income from tourism was poor.

He claimed the council had included the income from these residents when calculating whether the hotel was viable.

The appeal will be dealt with at an informal hearing at Eastbourne Town Hall.

The date is yet to be fixed.