Tesco was today accused of being “anti-Brighton” after the supermarket giant highlighted the city as being more expensive to holiday in than Bulgaria.

Brighton and Hove City Council leader Mary Mears spoke out after learning about a report published by Tesco Travel Money.

The company's survey found holiday hotspots in Turkey and Cyprus were also cheaper for a UK family of four than a stay on the Sussex coast.

It said a week in the Bulgarian capital Sofia would cost a family of four about £1,221, whereas a seven-night break in Brighton would set them back £2,209.

Also less costly than a week in the city were seven-night stays in Bodrum in Turkey, Ljubljana in Slovenia, Limassol in Cyprus, Budapest in Hungary and Warsaw in Poland.

The holiday costs in the survey included the price of accommodation, car hire, meals out, beach accessories, suntan lotion and visits to theme parks, but did not include flights.

Councillor Mears told The Argus: “We are surprised at this publicity stunt from Tesco, which is based on flimsy research designed to promote its own currency services.

“It’s not just anti-Brighton – it’s anti-Britain.

“Its motto is ‘every little helps’ – yet, at a time when the UK economy is fragile, it seems to be doing its level best to kick the tourism industry where it hurts.

“It would be doing its customers a far greater service by telling them what brilliant value for money a holiday in Brighton is with the many free museums, festivals and events all year round.

“I would also question whether Tesco’s talk of being eco-friendly is just greenwash.

“Surely the environmental costs of travelling to these destinations has to be taken into account – not to mention the financial cost of travelling, which seems to have been left out of their sums.

“Finally, this research presumes that visitors will stay in high-end hotels yet we have a wonderful range of accommodation in Brighton and Hove to suit every budget.”

In response to Coun Mears’s statement, a spokesman at Tesco Bank, which is responsible for Tesco Travel Money, said: “The research highlights the differences in holiday expenses such as accommodation, car hire, eating out and family entertainment, across a wide range of different holiday destinations.”

Is Tesco right to highlight the differences in staying at Brighton and other resorts? Or is Mary Mears right when she says it's anti-Brighton? Let us know below.