Comic Steve Coogan, TV's Alan Partridge, set more than 1,500 runners off on their way in a charity half-marathon in Brighton and Hove.

Organisers of the Sussex Beacon Half-Marathon hope more than £20,000 will be raised for Sussex Beacon Aids charity.

Starting off the runners, Steve said: "Sorry, Harry Enfield was unavailable. Thank you all for coming. I'm Steve Coogan, a local resident doing the easy bit.

"Enjoy the race. Don't speak to any strange men or women on the way and don't stop in any pubs until you have finished - there are marshals making sure there are no skivers."

He finished with a trademark "A-ha!", the catchphrase of his popular Alan Partridge character.

Steve, who lives in Hove, vowed he would enter the event next year.

He said: "I wish I'd entered this year. I've been trying to get in shape and the funny thing is, I'll probably run three miles on a treadmill anyway. Next year I'll do it, I promise."

Campaigners against a proposal to site a new sewage works in Ovingdean staged a protest as the half-marathon runners passed by.

Residents are angry a greenfield site between Roedean School and St Dunstans in Brighton has been earmarked by Southern Water as one of eight potential sites.

Householders gathered alongside the A259 with a 15ft banner reading "Keep our 'deans green".

Robert Mojab, chairman of the Campaign for Ovingdean Against Sewage Treatment, said of the site: "The proposed sewage works would destroy it forever."

Damon Elliott, Southern Water project manager, said: "There is an urgent need for a new works to serve Brighton and Hove. No decision on the works' location has been made yet.