People living near a popular pub fear expansion plans could lead to underage late night drinking.

Brewery firm Whitbread is about to refurbish the Sussex Potter at Lancing and wants to extend drinking time to midnight.

Pub chain bosses also want to include an outside drinking area for customers to use while the pub is open.

Residents claim the move could lead to an increase in late night drunken yobbish behaviour already experienced in other parts of Lancing.

They say they are already plagued by noise from customers leaving the pub-restaurant in Manor Road after closing time Many have written to Adur District Council's licensing committee which will decide if the extended opening times should be allowed.

Pauline Burton said: "I have lived opposite the Sussex Potter for 33 years and I strongly object to the extension.

"One only has to view the television to see what is happening to the youth of this country.

"Binge drinking is officially out of control and nobody in authority seems to have any idea how to curb it."

She said she was woken last month by a group of youths attempting to sit on the wall outside the Sussex Potter.

She added: "Some were actually lying in the road screaming at the tops of their voices.

"The bad language was unbearable and they did not move for over half an hour.

"During this period they managed to take photographs of each other on their mobile phones.

"I was worried about their safety as cars were travelling along Manor Road.

" If the extension is granted I expect that people will take their children to sit in the Sussex Potter garden.

"They will be allowed to stay until midnight or later if they are with their parents.

"I belong to an NSPCC fundraising committee and know about the affect of alcohol on family life.

"The money we raise tries to counter these effects which could last a lifetime for a young child.

"We have a drink problem with young children in Lancing at the moment.

"We do not want to exacerbate this by allowing more time to consume alcohol at the Sussex Potter."

Doctors David Young and Amaryllis Campbell have also objected.

They say they frequently experience noise from customers at closing time outside their home in Church Close.

Rosemary Hannan, of Manor Road, added: "We already suffer from large groups of teenagers drinking and behaving badly on Lancing Manor.

"North Lancing is a quiet residential area and in a Conservation Area.

"To have a pub-restaurant operating with those sort of late night and early morning hours is entirely out of keeping with the area."

Whitbread has appointed John Gaunt and Partners of Sheffield to handle the application for them.

John Gaunt said in a letter to the council: "The principle purpose of the application is to undertake work at the premises.

"These include general refurbishments throughout and an existing external area for the purpose of late night refreshment and the sale of liquor only."

Mike Webb, Worthing and Adur licensing officer for Sussex Police, said outside drinking should end at 11pm because of complaints from residents about noise in the past.

Bruce Reynolds, Adur's environmental health officer, makes a similar recommendation.

The licensing committee will decide the application when it meets at the civic centre, Ham Road, Shoreham, on Wednesday.