Planners have gone potty over this potting shed, just two minutes' walk from one of the biggest eyesores in Sussex.

The wood and glass shed, bought for £550, was put up by the Coombs family in May at the rear of their end-of-terrace home.

Now Worthing borough councillors are expected to order Gary and Ruth Coombs to take it down. If the couple refuse, they face legal action.

Ruth, 37, of Lennox Road, Worthing, said: "I think it is a waste of taxpayers' money."

She said there had been no complaints from neighbours and one passer-by had even asked for a pound of tomatoes.

But a council planning official compiled a report recommending the 6ft 6in-tall structure should be taken down within a month. Councillors were meeting today to decide the fate of the shed but Ruth vowed to appeal if the decision went against them.

The couple and their two daughters live near the Teville Gate shopping precinct, a derelict eyesore plagued by vandals, drunks, drug addicts and arsonists.

She said: "We can almost see Teville Gate from our house. Need I say more."

Ruth, who paid £95 to apply for planning permission after the shed was installed, said: "We have had nothing but positive comments from neighbours and friends. It is quite common for complete strangers to stop and say how lovely it is.

"It has brought enormous pleasure to me and has enabled me to turn an overgrown, embarrassing tip into a real garden.

"We cannot comprehend any reason why the council should refuse this application.

"If the decision goes against us, we shall appeal. It is a lot of money to throw away."

A council spokesman said the shed's size, colour and prominent siting caused visual harm to the character and "visual amenities" of the street.

Councillors had been advised to take legal action if the shed wasn't removed within a month.