A LEAKED Government document shows three Sussex towns will be some of the worst hit by a no-deal Brexit.

The classified list, compiled under the codename Operation Kingfisher, claims unemployment in Worthing, Chichester and Hastings could rise after a no-deal exit, the Sunday Times said.

Sharon Clarke of the Worthing Town Centre Initiative said shops and hotels in the city wanted an end to the Brexit uncertainty.

“Business owners just want something to happen,” she said.

“Because of the uncertainty, they can’t plan one way or another. At the moment everything’s changing every five minutes.

“People are being cautious about spending because they’re not sure what’s happening.

“It’s not necessarily job losses but more people not knowing if they can invest or get more stock.”

But businesses are not worried about a lack of tourism in Worthing, said Ms Clarke.

“Worthing has more foreign students than holidaymakers and the numbers have actually been going up, which is good.

“But shops and hotels want to know what they’re dealing with.”

Ms Clarke added businesses are more concerned about high business rates and a lack of spending.

“What we need is for more people to spend money, ultimately,” she said.

GlaxoSmithKline, which owns a factory in Worthing with hundreds of employees, estimates Brexit could cost the company an extra £50 million per year.

A spokeswoman said it had spent £70 million on contingency plans to weather any disruption caused by the UK leaving the EU.

“Our Brexit plans prepare us for elements within our control,” she said.

“We anticipate subsequent and ongoing costs arising from Brexit could include further customs duties and will include the cost of duplicate testing and release of our products.”

But a spokesman for Worthing Borough Council said it had not identified any specific issues that would have a “significant impact” on the town.

“We continue to actively monitor developments at a local, regional, and national level as we approach the Brexit date of October 31.

“We continue to engage with partners across the public, private, and voluntary sectors to stay informed about any emerging issues.”