Argus readers have vented their spleen on the worst architectural eyesores in Sussex.

We shortlisted the county's ugliest buildings as an antidote to the recent BBC series Restoration - which invited the public to vote for the British building most deserving of multi-million pound refurbishment.

In the end it was a tale of two carbunkles as the Teville Gate shopping centre and Brighton's Anston House shared two-thirds of the votes.

But no matter how bad you thought the run-down parade near Worthing station was - and that was very, very bad - with three surviving shops, at least it still serves a purpose. As a result, Teville Gate misses out on being top of the flops.

That dishonour goes to Anston House, which polled a whopping 41.5 per cent of the vote.

Your criticism of this huge lump of brick in Preston Road ranged from the constructive to the downright vitriolic.

Hazel Chapman, of Cairo Avenue, Peacehaven, said: "It's worse than an eyesore. It should be knocked down as Brighton desperately needs low-cost housing for people that live and work there."

A recent scheme to brighten up Anston House by covering the broken windows with colourful paintings didn't impress Mr EC Pitts, who lives on Preston Road.

He said: "It's absolutely without any merit whatsoever, even though the windows have been decorated."

Jon Hawley, of Tichborne Street, Brighton, was even more succinct. "Irredeemable, Appaling, Impossible," was how he described Anston House.

Despite trailing with 30.3 per cent of the vote, opponents of Teville Gate were equally vociferous.

Miss J Hackett, of Rudyard Road, Woodingdean, said: "I'm appalled at the way this building has been allowed to degenerate over the years and it's now just a no-man's land."

Sylvia Borehill, of Coopers Close, Burgess Hill, told the Argus: "It's probably the dirtiest, darkest, smelliest bit of town centre in the whole of Sussex.

"It's scary to walk through, even in the daytime. Very unpleasant."

With Brighton's New England House (17.6 per cent) and Phoenix Gallery and Studio (6.3 per cent) coming in third and fourth place respectively, it seems people are willing to forgive the ugliness of a building as long as there are beautiful works of art inside.

Yet even critics of these edifaces didn't pull their punches.

Miss Angela, of Rugby Place, Brighton, described New England House as "not only ugly outside, but ugly inside and horrible to work in", while Tina Thorpe, of Crabtree Avenue, Brighton, thought the Phoenix was "absolutely ghastly".

Even though the Arndale Centre in Eastbourne trailed in at fifth place with only 2.8 per cent of the vote, it provoked one of the most passionate responses.

Clive Gross, of Queens Gardens, Eastbourne, branded it "the worst shopping centre in any town".

He said: "It has no character, no personality and the worst design anywhere in the south of England."

Reflecting the British love of Ikea, Abba, pornography and all things Swedish, the least hated building in our poll was the Ericsson Building in Burgess Hill, which got just 1.5 per cent of the vote.

Although this didn't stop Steven Lowe calling The Argus all the way from Hertfordshire to say: "It's Bloody Awful! Pull It Down; It's A Disgrace!"

The final count (including text messages) was as follows:

Anston House - 41.5 per cent
Teville Gate - 30.3 per cent
New England House - 17.6 per cent
The Phoenix Gallery and Studio - 6.3 per cent
Arndale Centre - 2.8 per cent
Ericsson Building - 1.5 per cent