A campaign has been launched to stop a popular Sussex village pub being lost to housing.

Residents fear they could lose a bastion of village life after plans were submitted to turn the Sandrock Inn, in Ditchling, into two homes.

The community has already lost shops and amenities to developers.

Campaigners have collected more than 100 names on a petition against the proposal to convert the premises into two cottages.

There are also plans to convert the pub's garage and store into a house, to build three cottages next to the Twitten by the Old Meeting House and to build a further detached cottage behind the pub.

When Stephen Woodward bought the Sandrock three months ago, he told residents he had no plans to close.

However, the plans were revealed by chartered surveyors Clifford Dann before Christmas.

The bid, by agents Graham Johnson Designs, has now been formally submitted to Lewes District Council by developers WHW Ltd.

Michael Stratford, a company director who has lived in High Street for more than 20 years, believes the closure of the Sandrock would be the beginning of a decline in village life.

He said: "The council has a view that the village only needs to support two pubs and as long as the Sandrock retains its fascia, all is well.

"It is only the start. It is not affordable housing and it is just another stage of the fabric of village life disappearing."

Tom Dusty, spokesman for the Ditchling Society, said members feared there was a danger developers could buy up pubs and convert them to housing using the excuse they were failing businesses.

He said pubs and shops were bound to fail without proper investment and it was too easy for developers to make a quick sale before making a proper go of the business.

He said the village could lose many more facilities if the district council did not keep a check on its change of use policies.

He said the society was also concerned about the visual impact of the plans.

A spokesman for Lewes District Council said planners had a policy to ensure villages retained their facilities such as pubs and shops.

However, he said this might not have such a bearing on plans for the Sandrock as there were two other pubs in Ditchling.

He said the council would take into account the visual impact of the plans on the character of the village which is in a conservation area.

Residents have until the end of January to express their views.

Agents for the developers were unavailable for comment.