A plan to develop ports and resorts in the South-East will create 110,000 jobs.

The South East England Development Agency's (Seeda) strategy names Brighton and Hove as a "diamond for growth".

And seaside towns across the South East, including Hastings and Bexhill, are described as a "string of pearls" that can narrow economic gaps.

The strategy will go before Government and other stakeholders at a Coastal Cities Summit in Brighton on May 16.

Seeda said: "The coastal area is rich in diversity and potential."

And it said that many projects were "already under way". Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott said the summit in Brighton would be "an important opportunity".

Commenting on the announcement of the coastal plan, he said it would mean "looking afresh at the economic contours of a region".

Mr Prescott said: "It's about thinking east-west not just north-south. It's taking a new perspective on the potential of the South-East for jobs and growth."

Seeda chairman James Brathwaite said: "The potential of the coastal area is huge. Its competitive advantage is yet to be fully developed but transformational investments are already under way."

Wednesday, April 13