Protesters have pledged to continue picketing a controversial Starbucks coffee house until it shuts down.

A crowd of up to 70 people gathered for the second Saturday in a row to urge people not to visit the chain outlet in St James's Street, Brighton.

Starbucks caused controversy by opening for business despite a refusal by city council planners to grant it permission to trade at the former Sussex Stationers site. The firm is appealing against the decision.

Jon Barrenechea, who started the Facebook group Stop Starbucks From Opening on St James's Street, said: "They just landed here, got refused and opened anyway. It is arrogance."

Ben Duncan, Green councillor for Queen's Park, said: "People feel quite strongly about this for all sorts of reasons but predominantly they don't like the idea that planning decisions should be ignored."

Demonstrators gave different reasons for joining the protest. Some were concerned about ethical business practices, while others were irritated by the chain's decision to open without planning permission and others still were worried about globalisation and its effects on local character.

Eliza Greene, 27, a marketing manager from Kemp Town, said: "It is arrogance that they think they can get away with it.

"We are here to protect local businesses, especially on St James's Street.

"Starbucks is homogenising most of our high streets."

Max St John, 29, an internet marketing worker from Kemp Town, said: "We don't need another Starbucks with money going into the pockets of a small group of individuals which could be going into the pockets of small businesses and keeping Kemp Town independent."

Helen Bartlett, 29, of Oriental Place, said: "The development of Starbucks in St James's Street is bad for the street itself and its character.

"It is one of the only main streets in the town that doesn't have a coffee shop chain."

Police were positioned at the entrance to the shop to make sure customers could get in and out.

Staff said trade had been very good since it opened on Saturday May 24.

By 11.30am today there were just ten people inside the cafe.

Rumours spread among the demonstrators that they were "plants" used by the firm to make the shop look busy.

One customer, Colette, did not want to give her surname in case her decision to drink there affected her chances of finding a job.

The 56-year-old hospital worker said she prefers the chain because it is clean and hygienic and criticised the protesters for jumping on an anti-Starbucks bandwagon.

She said: "They are only here because it is the 'in' thing."

She denied she was working for the company.

Starbucks provided no fresh comment on the demonstration or its appeal against Brighton and Hove City Council's planning decision.

A spokesman said: "At Starbucks, we respect the right of members of the Brighton community to express their opinion about issues that are of importance to them, but believe their campaign targeted at Starbucks Coffee Company is misleading.

"We believe that we are within planning policy and will continue to work with Brighton and Hove City Council to ensure that we can provide the Starbucks Experience (sic) to the area."