Residents are furious after they were told to vacate a row of council-owned garages only for a stock car racing firm to move in.

Council tenants used to rent 17 of the 27 garages in Walmer Crescent, Bevendean, Brighton.

When New Downland Housing Association decided to demolish the garages and build affordable housing on the site, councillors asked the tenants to give up their garages so the site could be redeveloped.

Residents agreed but were amazed when Brighton Blues, a banger car group which takes abandoned vehicles and adapts them for stock car racing, moved into the garages.

Brighton Blues was started in Dartmouth Crescent, Lower Bevendean, with backing from New Deal and Sussex Police.

The council received a string of complaints from residents in Dartmouth Crescent and Fitch Drive who were sick of living near the noisy vehicles.

Following the complaints, Brighton Blues were offered the opportunity to move into the garages at Walmer Crescent.

Peter Gatz, who rented out one of the garages for almost ten years, said: "I could not believe it when I saw all the banger racing cars being moved in.

"I only agreed to move out of the garage because I was told they were being pulled down and houses were being built there.

"A lot of residents are very unhappy about this, not just the ones who had one of the garages.

'The banger racers caused problems when they were in Dartmouth Crescent and they will cause problems here.

"Why have I been made to move out to make room for them?"

A spokeswoman for Brighton and Hove City Council said the council had agreed to let Brighton Blues take over the garages but only temporarily.

She said: "The garages were a target for vandals and people dumping rubbish. Many of them were not in use, even the ones which were rented out, and they were in a state of disrepair.

"There had been complaints about the Brighton Blues when they were in Dartmouth Crescent so, as a temporary solution, the council offered them the use of the garages in return for them clearing up the rubbish. They have restricted operating hours.

"There will be housing built there and we are expecting a planning application from New Downland Housing Association.

"The stock car racers will be allowed to stay until the building work starts. We have no idea when that will be yet."