Brighton and Hove Albion has asked owners of land at Shoreham Harbour if they would be prepared to sell it to make way for their new football stadium.

Even though the club is adamant Falmer is the only viable site, it has found itself in the bizarre position of writing to landlords as if it intended to buy property at seven locations in the Brighton and Hove area, at the same time as publicly pouring scorn on the idea that any of them would make a suitable site for a 22,500-seat stadium.

The new evaluation process is the club's way of complying with the wishes of John Prescott, who has ordered further investigations into alternative sites before making a ruling on Falmer.

Letters have been sent to owners of land at Aldrington Basin at the harbour, even though the club believes the site is "riddled with difficulties".

The other sites are Brighton station, Coral's Greyhound Stadium in Hove, Sheepcote Valley in Brighton, Toad's Hole Valley in Hove, Waterhall Valley in Brighton and Withdean Stadium in Brighton.

Albion spokesman Paul Camillin said even though the club remained wholly committed to its Falmer plan, it would continue to evaluate the other sites in line with Mr Prescott's decision to reopen the stadium inquiry. Mr Camillin said: "Aldrington Basin has access problems. We would need to take out businesses and maybe homes.

"It's riddled with difficulties. But the planning inspector and Deputy Prime Minister have asked us to look at the possibility of building on eight sites, and we have to comply with that and approach all of them.

"It is costing us a huge amount of time and money and we remain adamant that Falmer is the site we need.

"But we will carry out this evaluation in the same way we carried out the evaluation at Falmer, because we are confident that it will again prove Falmer is by far and away the best site for a new stadium in the Brighton and Hove area."

The club plans to submit its findings in December, prior to the reopening of the inquiry early next year.

The exercise could cost the club more than £200,000 at a time when it is in such a desperate financial situation it has gone cap in hand to its supporters in an attempt to raise £2 million by the end of the season.

Mr Camillin claimed if the club went under, then persistent opponents of the Falmer plan would be to blame.