The leader of the council has warned that frontline services are "under enormous pressure" after millions of pounds in cuts to the council's budget.

Brighton and Hove City Council leader Phelim Mac Cafferty said that government cuts over more than a decade had wiped more than £100 million from the council's budget and that efforts to help residents deal with the cost of living have been limited because “ministers have taken an axe” to funding.

His comments come as the new Chancellor Jeremy Hunt signalled that cuts to public services will be made to tackle a hole in the government’s finances in the wake of the mini-budget last month.

Mr Hunt warned of decisions of “eye-watering difficulty” in the coming weeks and months and said “nothing is off the table”, including abandoning a previous pledge to increase pensions and welfare benefits in line with inflation.

Cllr Mac Cafferty said: “At a time of soaring energy costs, a labour shortage and high inflation, the Conservative government plan for more cuts is cruel and will hit our poorest residents hardest.

“Our council has been grossly affected by the 12 years of Conservative austerity. Not only has Brighton and Hove had over £100 million cut from our budget, historically we’ve been underfunded with some of the lowest annual funding increases in the country.

“Cuts of this magnitude mean critical frontline services, such as adult social care, protecting children, or clean air, are under enormous pressure.

“The Conservative government is completely out of touch with reality. Councils minister Simon Clarke said that public services have to ‘trim the fat’ - forget the fat, we’re into the bone.

“The grotesque Tory austerity experiment is clear to see: communities have lost almost 800 libraries and 600 public toilets, street cleaning spending is down 30 per cent in cities, while spending on growing the local economy is down 43 per cent.

“We are determined to do what we can to help residents, but there are logical limits because ministers have taken an axe to our funding.

“We will continue to push back against austerity locally, but we need adequate funding.”