Lawyer's acting for Sainsbury's are going to court in a bid to throw a group of artists out of a building earmarked for development.

The group set up community workshops in a building earmarked for the Brighton station development.

Lawyers acting for J Sainsbury Developments have lodged a writ at Brighton County Court seeking a possession claim on the former Harvest Forestry building in New England Street, Brighton.

The Harvest building is one of many on the site which has been earmarked for demolition to make way for a new superstore.

A planning application for the New England Consortium development, which includes the Sainsbury's superstore, two hotels, offices and hundreds of homes, is expected to be considered by Brighton and Hove City Council in September.

Landowner Railtrack served notice on businesses on the site, including Harvest, to quit last December.

Following its closure, a group of artists and craftspeople, under the name the Locomotive Works Community Project, moved into the building and began using it as a community workspace.

Blacksmith Peter Barnes has set up his anvil in the building and children have been using it for craft and entertainment events.

However, a court summons was pushed under the door at Harvest addressed to "Unknown" giving advice of a court hearing on Thursday, May 25, at Brighton County Court, where J Sainsbury Developments would be seeking possession of the site.

Mr Barnes, 47, found the letter pushed under the door on Wednesday.

He said: "We are not squatters. This is a community project and we keep this place tight. It is not a doss-house for squatters, drunks or junkies."

Mr Barnes said Sainsbury's should have called them to discuss their presence on the site and come to an agreement over a time to move out.

Mr Barnes, a former biology teacher, said if the group was forced out of the buildings and the development continued to be delayed it would become just another haven for drug-takers.

A spokesman for the New England Consortium, of which Sainsbury's is a part, said: "This group is illegally operating the building and in doing so are keeping other small local businesses out.

"A number of companies have been very interested in taking short-term lets but they are being kept out by these squatters."