A sewage treatment works ensuring a better standard of seawater off the Sussex coast has officially opened.

The £53 million plant at Ford aerodrome is dealing with all waste water from the Littlehampton and Bognor areas.

The works serve more than 130,000 people and are expected to process 62 million litres of water a day.

The water leaving the plant is cleaner than that previously sent out to sea and a fertiliser by-product is also made on site to be sold to farmers.

Southern Water managing director Stuart Derwent said the scheme would bring environmental benefits to the coastline and have a knock-on effect in other areas.

He said: "It will not only benefit residents but also help boost the tourism industry which the area's economy heavily depends on."

The plant was officially opened yesterday by Ronnie Mercer, chairman of Southern Water, and a director of parent company Scottish Power.

Mr Mercer said: "The scheme at Ford is part of a multi-million pound programme of environmental improvements along 1,242 km of coastline."