Work is about to start on a multi-million pound hospital expansion.

The £4.7 million project at Mill View in Hove, will provide extra facilities for adults with mental health problems.

Mill View was opened in 1998 and currently provides in-patient, outpatient and day-care services.

The extension will create single rooms with en-suite facilities for 35 patients in two main ward areas. It will also include a separate area with five beds for patients who have agreed to voluntary in-patient treatment for drug and alcohol problems.

At the moment, all these patients are being cared for at nearby Westbourne Hospital in New Church Road. They were transferred from the Freshfield mental health unit at Brighton General Hospital last year because conditions of the wards were inadequate.

Sarah Hood, executive director of South Downs Health NHS Trust, said: "This new extension is part of our plans to replace out-dated temporary accommodation so we can look after patients in surroundings designed to enhance their care."

Work was due to start earlier this year but had to be delayed because the cost of the development was more than the trust had budgeted for.

Trust bosses were able to negotiate with the builders and suppliers to bring the cost down to a manageable level.

Surrey-based Buxton Building Contractors are due to move onto the site on Wednesday.