Supermarket giant Tesco has been accused of "arrogance"

after it flouted planning rules.

Under the planning conditions, the car park of the new Tesco Express in Rectory Road, Tarring, Worthing, should have been finished before the store opened its doors to the public because of traffic congestion in the area.

But when the shop opened on Friday, the car park was still under construction, with diggers, skips and portable toilets instead of parking spaces.

Worthing Borough Council wrote to the supermarket last week and warned it to wait for the car park to be completed before it opened but the company, which yesterday announced profits of almost £1.1 billion for the last six months, went ahead anyway.

The council has now issued an enforcement notice against the supermarket, ordering it to finish the work within 28 days.

Councillor Bob Smytherman, who campaigned against the store's planning application, said he was furious about the breach.

He said he was concerned extra traffic generated by the store could pose a danger to pupils travelling to and from Thomas A Becket Middle School in nearby Glebeside Avenue.

He said: "It's like a building site.

I'm appalled they could even think about opening with the car park like it is.

"Their arrogance at flouting the planning conditions is just outrageous."

He said the enforcement notice was important as a point of principle but was effectively useless because it did not penalise the supermarket.

He said: "It's a bit of a farce really because they will no doubt have completed the car park by the time the 28 days is up but we're worried about what could happen in the meantime."

Chairman of the council's development control committee, John Livermore, said he was appalled by the "irresponsible attitude" of the company.

He said: "The parking situation at the site was always a concern to residents and to open without the car park finished was inevitably going to result in a chaotic situation along Rectory Road."

A Tesco spokeswoman admitted the store had breached the planning conditions but said the work would be completed today She said: "We apologise for any inconvenience."

There was an altercation between a photographer from The Argus and builders at the supermarket when he tried to take pictures of them working on the uncompleted car park.

Eddie Mitchell said he was standing on a public highway while taking the pictures of the car park construction site, accompanied by Coun Bob Smytherman.

He said one of the men asked for his name and address, which he refused to give because they declined to give him theirs.

He said: "He threatened me with all kinds of violence."

Tesco declined to comment.