A job centre in one of the most economically deprived towns in Sussex is facing possible closure.

JobCentre Plus, the agency operating the Newhaven centre, has applied for permission from Secretary of State for Employment Jim Murphy to close it as part of a plan to amalgamate services in the area.

The centre employs around 20 and has 600 job seekers on its books at any one time - but could be axed within months.

Unemployment has continued to rise steadily across England and Wales.

In July the figure hit 957,000, approximately 5.5 per cent of the population.

Staff at the Newhaven centre were told of the possible closure last week.

One worker, who did not want to be named, said: "The Department for Work and Pensions has kept this under wraps for quite some time and I fear it may be too late to stop the closure.

"Newhaven JobCentre serves Seaford, Peacehaven and Newhaven and deals with job seekers, lone parents and sickness benefit customers.

"If the JobCentre closes, the area will lose a very valuable service and customers will have to travel to either Eastbourne, Brighton or Lewes at their own cost.

"That includes sickness benefit customers who may have great difficulty travelling the extra distance."

Staff have been told if the closure happens it could take up to a year.

But they say they have seen other JobCentres closed within weeks or months.

The staff member said: "Newhaven town centre is in decline already and this will only speed the decline, leading it to become a ghost town.

"The public are totally unaware of this. Please bring it to their attention or the JobCentre will be gone before they know it."

District manager Lynne Connolly said: "An application has been submitted but this is only the first step in a long, drawn out process.

"There will be an extensive consultation with local MPs, staff and our customers, and it will take some time for all of that to take place."

She added if the centre were to close staff would be redeployed to nearby centres.

Ms Connolly said: "It is a little unsettled here. We all feel a bit uncertain."

Staff have contacted Lewes MP Norman Baker and have his support.

He said: "I am fed up with the authorities, whether it's the Government or the county council, treating Newhaven with apathy at best and contempt at worst.

"Newhaven is a major employment centre.

"It is short-sighted, damaging and an insult to the town to put forward this closure.

"The senior management I spoke to say that if the minister gives the green light then there will be a so-called consultation exercise with the local population.

"But what prospect is there that a ministerial yes will be reversed by popular demand?

"This is simply cynically going through the motions.

"I understand that once the Minister has said yes, he will not be involved again, despite the fact that JobCentre Plus admitted to me that the case put to him has not been properly or fully assessed.

"Any consultation should have taken place before the letter to the minister was sent.

"As it is, he will have a recommendation before him which has not been properly assessed and which nobody locally will have fed into at all."