The summer tourist trade in one of the seaside towns served by Southern Railway fell due to the rail disruption, according to its mayor.

Lindsay Freeman, town mayor of Seaford, said the resort's tourist information centre had hardly any inquiries during the peak period.

Ms Freeman also said fed-up commuters have given up jobs in London due to the chaos sparked by strike action and infrequent running trains.

And the knock-on effect has been more cars on local roads as rail passengers who are unsure whether their trains will run get behind their wheels.

Ms Freeman voiced grave concern about what impact the strike will have when it coincides with the world famous Lewes Bonfire on November 5.

Many people who attend the spectacular event, which can attract up to 40,000 people, travel into the East Sussex county town by train.

Ms Freeman said: "People have had to stop working in London because they couldn't be sure whether they could get into work on time.

"A lot of parents have said the disruption has meant them not being able to see their children in the evenings, and led to increased childcare costs.

"And I've heard it has also had an impact on disabled people because some of the coaches laid on are not always accommodating for the disabled.

"The rail strikes and disruption have really had a huge impact on Seaford. We have been right down on tourists, with the tourist information centre reporting fewer inquiries.

"People have also had to cancel hospital appointments and I've noticed an increase in traffic. I work in Eastbourne and used to leave at 7.40am but have had to leave at 7.20am instead.

"There are just so many more cars since all this started on the railways."

She described the situation as "disgraceful".

Councillor Rahnuma Hayder said a father missed the birth of his child because he was stuck in London due to late-running trains.

And her own son has given up working for the Cabinet Office in London and taken a job nearer to home due to the haphazard train services.