A public meeting has been called after residents objected to plans for a "wet shelter" caring for drunks and drug addicts.

Worthing Churches Homeless Projects (WCHP) wants to open the £1.8 million 12-bed recovery project at Whitcomb House, Selden Road, East Worthing.

But people living nearby claim they were only consulted at the last minute.

They fear the scheme will act as a magnet to people from other parts of the country rather than just catering for Worthing addicts.

East Worthing MP Tim Loughton, a patron of the Homeless Projects, will now chair a meeting at the Labour Hall, Lyndhurst Road, on Saturday at 2pm.

Protester Shirley Corderoy, of Church Walk, accused the Homeless Projects, which already has two hostels and a day centre in the town, of "silently spreading its tentacles" around Worthing.

She said: "They have encroached without informing anybody of what they were doing. I don't think many of the people they treat are even local."

Mrs Corderoy said residents were horrified at the proposals for Whitcomb House and claimed they were only informed the day before the plans were unveiled.

Mr Loughton, who is chairing the meeting, has openly expressed his support for the Homeless Projects in a letter.

He said: "My role is to make sure that residents can have their questions answered by people who are running the projects.

"Although I am a patron of WCHP, it will not stop me asking some pretty tough questions and giving straight answers to my constituents. In terms of the way the WCHP has publicised it and consulted, I don't think it has been done particularly well."

He said there was a problem in Worthing over the lack of services for addicts, who were not allowed into other WCHP facilities if they were under the influence. He said he would not support the Homeless Projects if they were importing people from miles around to fill the beds.

Alison Godfrey, spokeswoman for the WCHP, said: "With regard to the neighbours, we have knocked on every door of the immediate neighbourhood with information packs.

"We had a steady number of neighbours who came in to have a chat and had their questions answered which we were very happy to do.

"Throughout the afternoon, councillors James Doyle, Christine Brown and Jack Saheid were on hand to speak to neighbours.

"Those who came along spoke of feeling reassured by speaking to us and we would like to encourage people to continue to talk to us about their concerns."

"We completely understand that neighbours will have their concerns regarding this project and would like to seek reassurance from us.

"We will be continuing to offer opportunities to speak to us, either in person, or via telephone, letter or email."