The owner of a printing company is to appeal against a High Court decision that he should pay £19,000 damages and costs estimated at £81,000 for labelling a solicitor a "tosspot".

Anthony Hancock, 58, of Rigden Road, Hove, who runs The Print Factory in Bell Lane, Uckfield, sent a fax calling Martin Cray, 53, of The Green, Rottingdean, a "greedy, incompetent and inefficient tosspot".

Another fax described Mr Cray, whose firm operates from opposite Brighton Magistrates Court in Edward Street, as "thick, as well as incompetent".

Following a week-long hearing, Judge John Previte QC awarded Mr Cray £9,000 in libel damages, plus £10,000 for harassment.

The judge said the allegations were "extremely hurtful and damaging".

Costs in the two-year feud, which followed a falling out over legal fees for a claim Mr Hancock had made through Mr Cray's firm in a dispute with a bathroom firm, are estimated to be £81,000.

Mr Hancock will be appealing direct to the Court of Appeal within the next 14 days.

He said: "I am going to appeal. "There will also be a complaint concerning Mr Cray to the Office for the Supervision of Solicitors for professional misconduct."