A pub manager has been fined for dumping dozens of sacks of rubbish in the street.

Workers for Brighton and Hove City Council were confronted with about 160 black bin liners piled up at the rear of the Prodigal pub, in East Street, Brighton, a court heard.

The putrid condition of the waste, which was blocking Brills Lane, raised public health and fire safety fears.

Francis Evans, the manager of the pub, admitted illegally depositing commercial refuse and failing to comply with his duty of care when he appeared at Brighton Magistrates Court.

He was fined £400 and ordered to pay £200 costs.

His employer, Barracuda Ltd, also admitted failing to comply with its duty of care and was fined £1,500 and ordered to pay £400 costs.

Len Batten, prosecuting for the council, told the court its enforcement officers visited the lane on July 19 and found about 160 sacks of dumped waste.

The officers decided to empty some of the sacks to find out where they had come from.

As they opened the first bag, Evans approached them and asked what they were doing.

He denied any of the rubbish came from the pub and blamed residents living in Clarendon Mansions, a block of flats nearby.

He said the residents had not had their rubbish collected for a month and they threw the bags out of the windows of their flats.

Out of 60 bags checked, 53 contained commercial waste, including non-returnable bottles and post addressed to the pub.

Photographs of the rubbish were shown to the magistrates.

Mr Batten said the area was inspected the following day and it had been cleared.

Richard Wormald, defending, said Evans and the company apologised.

Mr Wormald said the problem was caused by long-running problems the council had with its refuse collectors, Sita.

The pub had its own large industrial bin in the lane but residents living nearby also dumped their rubbish in it.

Evans had contacted the council to try to get the residents' rubbish collected and had also contacted a waste-disposal firm.

He said: "Frustration mounted upon frustration. He put the rubbish outside that day because there was no alternative.

"He cleared the mess with his other employees and disinfected the street and made sure it was spotless.

"The pub has bought some lockable bins. Now when there is some rubbish there it is not from the pub but from the residents."