A white witch has been elected unopposed to a town council near Brighton. Lib Dem Marina Pepper says she cast a "positive spell" on the community.

Marina, who has penned books about witchcraft and lets her home be used as a coven, was elected unopposed to represent East Saltdean on Telscombe Town Council.

She puts her success down to the spell she cast on her community from the bottom of her garden in Oaklands Avenue, Saltdean.

She claims the positive vibes she sent out helped her get a seat on the town council, and assisted in resolving the contentious issue of asylum seekers being housed at the Grand Ocean Hotel.

Marina, 35, who is married to a musician, Lee, and has two children, was elected when independent candidate Barry Taylor decided not to stand because of work commitments.

Marina said: "I only cast positive spells and this one seems to have worked on the community. It was not a specific spell to force a rival candidate to stand down - I don't do things like that. It was a spell of goodness via positive thoughts."

Mr Taylor, a security guard, said: "I decided to withdraw my nomination because of work commitments. It was purely because of that."

Marina says she is delighted the issue of asylum seekers staying at the Ocean Hotel has been resolved.

Excrement was left on her doorstep and her house and car daubed with lavender paint after she said local people were not looking at asylum seekers as human beings.

She said: "I felt so vulnerable and unsafe. It was a sorry time. But I went to the bottom of the garden and thought positively and since then I have been elected and the Government has decided Saltdean is not the place for asylum seekers, ending all this conflict in the community.

"I will use my powers of positive thinking to good effect on the town council and in my campaign to now get elected to Lewes District Council.

"I want to be judged on how I care for others, not because I have written books on spells and celebrate the turning of the seasons."