Five Sussex towns have been snubbed in their bid for a share of the £1.2m Mary Portas high street regeneration cash.

The Department for Local Government chose 12 towns which will receive £100,000 each along with the assistance of retail guru Mary Portas, better known as Mary Queen of Shops.

Among the 370 applicants for cash were Worthing, Lancing, Seaford, Newhaven, Eastbourne and Worthing – none of which were successful.

Those named as Portas Pilot towns included Stockton on Tees, Margate, Stockport and Wolverhampton.

They will use the money to liven up derelict shops, start new markets and advertise shopping areas.

Worthing Councillor Bob Smytherman said: “It’s really disappointing but we won’t turn our back on regeneration.

“There are a number of areas of Worthing that need a vital cash injection to get them going again and we will bid again for the next round of funding.

Neil Parkin, leader of Adur District Council, said: “It is very disappointing for the area.

“I think it’s about time the Government looked south of London when handing out funding. People don’t realise but Lancing has some of the most deprived areas in the country.

“However we will continue to work with the parish and county councils to ensure that we go for any pot of money available to help improve Lancing.”

The Government’s High Street tsar, best known for her TV show Mary Queen of Shops, said that, with the high quality of bids, an additional 15 towns would be chosen in July.

Applications for the second round of bids are due by June 30.

She said: “I’ve been deeply touched by both the quality and creativity of the bids and the momentum Britain’s first town teams have generated in just a few short weeks.

“It is now clearer to me than ever that Britain wants its town centres revitalised and the energy and accountability for that needs to rest with the people who live and do business there.”