A trader who has sold coffee in a railway station car park for more than a decade is to be moved on when a new cafe opens.

Tony Beck, 57, has been serving commuters from a van at Portslade Station for 11 years but he has been told he will have to leave his pitch when the cafe opens at the station managed by Southern, after his bid to run the new venue was rejected.

Mr Beck, of Trafalgar Road, Portslade, said he was disappointed to be passed over after serving customers every morning for so long.

He said: “It is more than just a job serving coffee, it’s like being part of a community. I have original customers from 11 years ago.

“All my customers have been supportive – it has been quite an emotional time at the moment.

“I always knew the cafe was going to come in but after serving this length of time, I thought I would have had an opportunity to run it.”

It comes a year after customers and local councillors rallied round Mr Beck when plans were revealed by Southern to scrap his pitch.

Councillor Robert Nemeth, for Wish Ward, said: “Once again what we are seeing is shoddy behaviour from Southern.

“When I last stepped in to help Tony, it was to stop Southern placing a bike rack right across his pitch. They claimed that it was an oversight and that they valued his custom hugely.

“They said that there was no intention whatsoever to change their fruitful arrangement with him.

“We now hear he is going to be given his notice despite having been an ideal tenant with huge community support.

“I am in touch with Southern and have asked for an urgent response.”

A Southern spokesman said: “We’re revamping the station by turning a derelict Grade II listed building on the London-bound platform into a cafe, waiting room, accessible toilet and cycle hub with two-tier bike racks for around 25 bikes and, hopefully, a bike maintenance shop.

“The new coffee shop, ideally placed for passengers waiting to catch their train, will be indoors and have tables and chairs, providing better facilities than Mr Beck’s mobile kiosk outside the station.

“We encouraged Mr Beck to apply for the lease of the coffee shop. Sadly, however, his proposal was significantly below the market rate and the winning bidder also offered to fit out the new shop to a better standard.

“It is sad to lose someone who has been at the station for years and this was a difficult decision taken with a heavy heart but the process was fair.

“Ideally, we would keep both operations running but there simply isn’t enough business.”