Two Sussex estates are among the most deprived areas in England, according to a survey.

Brighton and Hove City Council has produced maps showing levels of economic and social deprivation in each council ward.

Moulsecoomb and Marine - which includes most of the Whitehawk Estate - are in the top five per cent of deprived areas, taking factors including access, child poverty, education, employment, health, housing and income into account.

Figures show both wards score well for access but fare badly on all other counts.

They are both in the top four per cent most deprived wards for child poverty. On education, Marine is in the top one per cent and Moulsecoomb the top two per cent.

Marine and Moulsecoomb also fare badly on employment, although other wards such as Regency and Queen's Park have worse problems. They also have problems with health, being the most deprived wards in the city, apart from Queen's Park.

Both have severe housing difficulties, with only Regency ward being on a par.

Income levels are low, with the two wards in the top ten per cent nationally.

Next on the list come Queen's Park, King's Cliff, Regency, Hanover and Vallance which are all in the top 20 per cent most deprived wards.

Also showing high deprivation levels are Portslade South, Portslade North, Nevill, Wish, Hangleton, Westbourne, Brunswick, Goldsmid, Seven Dials, St Peter's, Hollingbury, Tenantry, Stanmer and Woodingdean.

Only five wards show greater than average prosperity. They are Stanford, Westdene, Patcham, Preston and Rottingdean.

Help is being offered to Moulsecoomb and Marine and most of the other deprived areas in Brighton and Hove through assisted area status.

Moulsecoomb and Whitehawk are also part of the New Deal For Communities scheme which will pump £47 million into the area over ten years.

Moulsecoomb Labour councillor Francis Tonks said: "There is a lot of deprivation but many people are positive.

"There is plenty of New Deal money coming in and it is making a difference. Moulsecoomb has a good community spirit and people are getting things done."

He praised the work of the Moulsecoomb Neighbourhood Trust and said a healthy living centre was about to open.

Coun Tonks said Falmer School had improved greatly and was about to get a good report from Ofsted inspectors.

Fred Netley, who has lived in Manor Farm, Whitehawk, since 1935, said: "We have been one of the poorest of wards in Brighton and probably England.

"But with the introduction of New Deal, there is progress and we are starting to see the benefits.

"I would like to see more jobs for young people, including direct employment for them."

Mr Netley, Press officer for the East Brighton Community Partnership, added there were improvements in education and lifelong learning, including progress at East Brighton College of Media Arts.

He said: "Progress would become faster as more people, particularly youngsters, realise what the New Deal scheme is all about."

The combined scores for multiple deprivation in Moulsecoomb and Marine put them on a par with some inner city wards in cities much better known for poverty, such as parts of Liverpool, Manchester and Newcastle.

All 8,414 wards in England were assessed and graded on the National Index of Multiple Deprivation.