Caravan owners at a controversial holiday park fear for their future at the site after learning their rent had been doubled.

The Golden Sands park on Lancing seafront has been sold to new owners by Adur District Council.

But people who have owned holiday homes there for up to 50 years say they have been told they will not have contracts to stay there after October 31.

They have also been sent letters telling them their annual rents will be increased to £2,594, double what they pay now.

Many of the owners spend their summers at Golden Sands and live abroad for the rest of the year. The park is shut every winter from the end of October.

Owners who renew their licences return from the beginning of March.

Chris Jones, chairman of Golden Sands Residents' Association, said: "We are taking legal advice about what has happened and some of the things that have been said to us.

"A lot of people here are not happy about the way this has been handled. We feel we have been stitched-up by the council."

Margaret Hall, his partner, said: "I feel the sunshine has been taken out of my life because of this. Some of the older people have been coming here for nearly 50 years. A lot just want to sell up now and not come back again."

Adur sold the park to Worcestershire-based Moses Cooper's family businesses last month for an undisclosed sum.

In July, the council rejected a £1.5million bid from the residents to pay £75,000-a-year for 25 years to buy Golden Sands themselves.

The council had threatened to ban caravan owners from their holiday homes over the summer because of fears over possible fire risks.

Councillors were warned they could be held personally liable for any financial claims resulting from an accident.

The threat of a ban was lifted after residents threatened to take the council to court.

They were told they could continue to use the static caravans if the electricity supply to the park was switched off. The owners agreed to use car batteries to provide power to their homes instead.

Mr Cooper's son, also Moses, said the family business owns a number of holiday parks in England.

He told The Argus: "Everyone will get their contracts renewed next year.

"We have told the residents that they will not be able to come back onto the site until March 1.

"There is a lot of work to be done over the winter and we are going to spend a hell of a lot of money on Golden Sands.

"We are planning to connect all of the homes to mains sewers and to get the electricity put back on.

"The car parks will be upgraded and the site landscaped to make it one of the best parks in the South-East.

"At the moment we have to get that work under way and that is taking up my time. I will look at the contracts early next year. I am planning to meet all of the residents individually so that I can shake their hands and discuss things with them. We don't want to be horrible to anyone."

A council spokesman said: "Adur sold Golden Sands to a holiday caravan park owner and as such would expect a legitimate business to operate within the law.

"Any day-to-day issues about the caravan site should be taken up with the new owner."