Parents across Brighton and Hove are flocking to get their children into private schools to dodge the city's new lottery system.

Last night, the area's independent schools reported a surge of interest for places from families unhappy with the schools their children were assigned.

Brighton College and Lancing College said they would have to expand to take on extra pupils.

Brighton and Hove High School for Girls is staging extra entrance exams and Roedean has reported increased enquiries.

Meanwhile, governors at Patcham High demanded the city council scrap the new system because they said it was putting their school at risk.

The school was praised by Ofsted last year after being criticised by inspectors earlier but will lose tens of thousands in funding because it has not been allocated enough pupils to fill its 210 places.

Headteacher Paula Sargent said: "It will affect the running of the school. It will affect our finances and our income. Our task is not being made easier."

But Brighton and Hove City Council defended the system, saying it had been a "soaring success".