A Worthing school's £330,000 bid to transform a sodden field into an all-weather pitch has been shown a red card by planners.

Staff at St Andrew's Boys' School in Sackville Road hope a rematch will be more successful after the borough council contacted them to work through its objections.

The school hopes a National Lottery grant will fund 80 per cent of the project but can only apply if the community use the new facility for 40 hours a week.

It has teamed up with Worthing Hockey Club, which has its clubhouse a few minutes up the road but has to play home matches in Portslade.

Concerned residents collected a 133-strong petition protesting about proposals for a 101-metre artificial pitch with eight floodlights.

Julie Kemp-Potter, 34, of Sackville Road, said: "We were considering moving house. We have got a young child and the noise and parking and the whistles would have been a nightmare."

Head teacher Steve Jewell said the school's neighbours should look again at the plans, which could help to ease traffic problems by freeing up a playground to be used as a car park.

He said: "Naturally we are disappointed, but we understand the concerns of the planning committee on behalf of residents. This development would have benefited the school and local community."

Mike Bleakley, Worthing Council's head of planning, said he had requested a meeting with the school in the New Year to try to help the school.