Estate agents fear a police scheme to "advertise" burglaries on Mid Sussex street corners will scare off potential buyers.

There are fears burglary boards could damage property prices, particularly in those streets at the higher end of the property market which are often targeted by burglars.

Burgess Hill police want to put up a notice at the end of every street where there has been a break-in.

A police spokesman said: "At the moment the police rely on intelligence, forensic evidence from the scene, house-to-house inquiries and analysis of the crime, but the boards will assist with prompting the residents to phone the police or Crimestoppers."

Burgess Hill is the first town to use the boards following a trial run in Battle last summer.

Police said they had 22 positive responses from the public out of the 29 areas in which the boards were used.

Boards have been put up at Berrylands Farm estate in Sayers Common appealing for witnesses to a burglary there on February 8; in Pyecombe, following a burglary on February 10; and in Hurst Road, Hassocks.

Fenton Scott, senior negotiator at Stephen Parsons Independent Estate Agents, Keymer Road, Burgess Hill, said: "It's a bit odd.

"I don't think it will be conducive to selling property. It's a bit of an eyesore for one thing and it's drawing attention to an area where there are problems.

"I think it could put off potential buyers. Anything which puts people off is not such a good thing.

"It could also be upsetting to residents. It's a status thing and when their friends come round, it says 'I live in an area where there are burglaries'.

"I don't think the people in those areas would want it.

"They already have neighbourhood watch schemes to tell them if there have been any burglaries, they don't want it advertised on their street."