KENNELS are to be knocked down because the guard dogs are potentially dangerous.

Council bosses are concerned a block of eight kennel units was built without planning permission off Theobald's Road, Wivelsfield.

At a planning meeting this week, Lewes district councillors voted for the kennels to be demolished.

They said court action will start if the dogs are still there in three months.

The old Dancy's Kennels in Theobald's Road consists of a bungalow and other buildings which are no longer used to board dogs.

But new kennels, used to house and breed guard dogs owned by a Brighton security company, were built without permission in April 1999.

A district council report said the dogs "could escape to cause danger to local residents" while they were moved to vehicles parked "some distance" away.

It said the kennels had created extra traffic along a lane "poorly equipped" for cars. Access is through a gap in the hedge and via a meadow used to graze horses.

The report added: "Numerous verbal and written attempts to obtain a retrospective planning application have been to no avail."

A council spokesman refused to name the security company.

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