SOME of the richest people in Britain live in Sussex or have strong ties with the county, according to two new reports.

Heading the Sussex millionaires are the Sainsbury family, who are second on the Sunday Times Rich List of the nation's wealthiest citizens.

Their fortune is estimated at £3,100 million. The founder's great-grandson Tim Sainsbury was a former Hove MP.

But the Sainsburys slip down from first place last year, giving way to Hans Rausing of the food packaging world with £3,400 million.

Moving from 29th position on last year's list to 23rd is Viscount Cowdray and the Pearson Family.

Viscount Cowdray, 54, of the 18,000-acre Cowdray Park estate in West Sussex, is worth £820 million.

Former Beatle Sir Paul McCartney, who lives at Peasmarsh, near Rye, makes an appearance at number 33 with an estimated £500 million.

Millionaire Nicholas van Hoogstraten, 54, who owns properties in Hove, London and abroad, came in at number 108 with an estimated £200 million.

The property tycoon hit the headlines recently when he refused to let ramblers onto his 100-acre East Sussex estate, where he is currently building a £30 million home.

Former Brighton and Hove Albion football club owner and DIY boss Greg Stanley is listed 384th with £60 million.

And the Queen, the richest person in Britain in 1989, is now 87th, worth £250 million.

Meanwhile, another report reveals that Sussex has one of the highest concentrations of millionaires in Britain, although not all of them make the Sunday Times list.

Haywards Heath and Chichester are top of the league when it comes to wealthy individuals, with seven millionaires each.

But they are run close by much smaller Petworth (six), Midhurst and West Wittering (five), which have far more millionaires per head.

The figures are revealed in the UK Wealth Directory, compiled by Middlesex-based Lord de Chanson.

It lists more than 150 millionaires in Sussex, shown below, and about 5,000 more across the country.

They include South Downs Euro MP James Provan, who lives near Horsham, Richard Branson's father Edward, from West Wittering, and Ditchling-based Ruth Harding, the widow of former Chelsea FC director Matthew Harding.

Many others are peers, such as former Mid Sussex MP Lord Renton, from Offham near Lewes, or successful business people like Body Shop boss Anita Roddick, who lives near Arundel.

The report is published by: Lord de Chanson, ISBN 0-9534130-2-0. Price: £290 inc P&P. Faxed orders: 01992 850635.

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.