Neighbours are furious their semi-detached homes may be turned into a terrace.

The residents fear thousands of pounds will be wiped off the value of their properties if a scheme to bridge the gap between the two homes gets the go-ahead.

Pensioners Gordon and Molly Dean, who are in their seventies, live in a semi-detached property. There is a 15ft gap between their home and neighbours Jonathan and Laura Speirs, who also live in a semi.

The gap used to be filled by a Victorian archway with wrought-iron gates which was the rear entrance to a pub. It was pulled down when the Queen's Park Tavern, in Queen's Park Road, Brighton, closed several months ago.

Now an application has been made to Brighton and Hove Council to build ten homes on the site, one of which would fill the gap in St Luke's Road with a three-storey town house.

Mr and Mrs Dean, who have lived in their home for 27 years, are furious. Former tennis coach Mr Dean, who has two children, said: "We bought a semi-detached house. We don't want it to get the authority to be built. I don't like the idea at all."

Mr Dean, who has written to his MP, Des Turner, about the proposal, said an estate agent had been out to the house and told him the proposal could reduce the value of his home by up to £10,000.

Father-of-two Mr Speirs, who has lived in his home for nine years, said: "I'm going to lose money and our privacy will be considerably impaired. We will suddenly become a terraced house.

"Obviously things change but to change that dramatically is the reason why there's been a lot of upheaval about it."

Residents in the St Luke's Road and Queen's Park Road area have rallied round the two couples to complain.

They are angry about the proposal, claiming it is over-development, and say the new homes would be out of keeping with the Victorian homes in the road.

They also claim the demolition of the pub would mean the loss of a building which could be used as a community facility.

Gerry McGrellis, 70, who has lived in St Luke's Road since 1966, said: "It's totally unjust that a person who has been virtually end-of-

terrace or semi-detached can have a house stuck on to them.

"It's totally wrong that there will be no recompense. I can't understand how anyone can run roughshod over people like that."

Reg Golden, 65, and his wife, Annie, 66, have lived in the street for 38 years. The couple were furious that the Victorian archway was removed.

He said: "It was the best part of the street."

Councillor Simon Charleton is backing the residents and vowed to fight the planning application.

He said: "I think the two families concerned who live in these houses are being treated very shabbily by the people who have put in the planning application.

"It's outrageous."

The original plan was for 12 homes to be built but this has since been reduced to ten.

The developer was unavailable for comment.