A row is brewing over an historical society's plans to open up secret wartime tunnels to the public.

The underground centre, known as the Secret Tunnels of South Heighton, was rediscovered following detective work by the Newhaven Historical Society.

Named HMS Forward, the complex was set up in 1941 as an underground naval intelligence centre to monitor all marine movements off Sussex.

The society members, led by retired British Telecom engineer Geoff Ellis, now want to re-open the 550-yard tunnels near Newhaven to the public.

However, the tunnels run beneath 24 homes and one homeowner, Paul-John Harris, has objected to the society's project.

His resistance means that if the society gains funding to open up the tunnels, the area underneath Mr Harris's home will have to be blocked off.

Mr Harris has lived in Glynde Close, Newhaven, since 1991 and said he only discovered the tunnels existed under his home in an article in the South Coast Leader in 2002.

Mr Harris, 56, said he had not been informed when he bought the property that there were wartime tunnels running underground despite searches.

He is concerned about the safety of people if they are opened up and who would be liable should anything go wrong.

Father-of-two Mr Harris, an entertainer, said: "I was shocked. I still can't believe it. How come when I bought my home there was nothing to say on my deeds that these tunnels existed? What's wrong with having them sealed up? They had been for years before all this."

He believes his home will now devalue because of the existence of the tunnels.

Mr Ellis and the society believe they are an important part of Sussex history as they provided coastal surveillance during Britain's darkest hours.

The society has tried to persuade Mr Harris to change his mind, saying that by allowing them to open up the tunnels they can be maintained.

For Mr Ellis the complex represents a personal campaign. As a young boy he watched the tunnels excavated as miners bore through up to 7,500 tons of chalk.

Little was known about their extraordinary background. Even as late as the mid-Nineties, the Government and the Imperial War Museum denied their existence.

In 2000 English Heritage declared the site to be of national importance because of its contribution in both defensive and offensive wartime operations.

At a Heritage Open Day last month, 200 people went through and 300 people had to be turned away, such was its popularity.