Village watchdogs have warned that developers are threatening to turn a rural country lane into a suburban street.

Ferring Conservation Group said Langbury Lane seemed to be the new target of developers north of the A259 Worthing-Littlehampton Road.

A spokesman said: "Scarcely week goes by without another application to demolish a bungalow and build two or more on the plot.

"Some of them are getting approval but this is gradually changing the character of the lane into that of a suburban street."

The group unsuccessfully protested against two bungalows in the old car park behind the Tudor Close pub in Ferringham Lane, south Ferring, amid fears it would lead to parking on the roadside, resulting in congestion and obstruction.

But it is more confident of winning an appeal in Littlehampton on March 4 against plans for nine houses on the site of two homes in Sea Lane Gardens.

The spokesman said: "This is the biggest infill application since the attempt to build 30 houses at The Strand.

"The rejection of this appeal, which we confidently expect, will send an important message to would-be developers of Ferring and other villages such as ours."