Seaford residents are being urged to have their say on issues like crime, the environment and waste which affects their town.

The Seaford Residents' Association is looking to bolster its membership to become a force for positive change.

Its 1,000-strong membership has lobbied hard for the re-instatement of headstones controversially flattened by Lewes District Council workers at Seaford Cemetery.

They have also campaigned vigorously against the siting of an incinerator in neighbouring Newhaven amid fears of its impact on people's health.

Now officials want to extend the group's influence by reaching out to people who have recently moved to Seaford but who are unaware of their existence.

Chairman Gail Elliston Elhinn said: "Seaford is a lovely quiet place to live, with very little crime to speak of.

"We want to keep it that way and for that to happen people need to express their views on what's going on here.

"We protest against anything that we don't like but also give backing to the more positive things within the town, such as the Jubilee celebrations and Christmas lights.

"It's about keeping people in touch with what the decision-makers at county, district and town council level are planning so that we have our say."

The organisation, established in 1959, has dwindled in size during the last five years as elderly members drop out.

Organisers are looking to increase numbers, particularly among newly-arrived residents to Seaford.

They are also keen to attract people affiliated to smaller groups representing individual blocks of flats, retirement homes or housing associations.

Member Peter White said the politically-impartial group has links with the police, councils and Lib Dem MP Norman Baker, whose Lewes constituency includes Seaford.

He added the group is often asked for views on various activities, including Seaford in Bloom, the Christmas lights, CCTV and the new Jubilee Gate.

At least three open meetings are held each year, with speakers from a wide range of organisations and there is a magazine, The Resident, published three times a year.

The association is currently running a leaflet campaign to make itself more widely known and to encourage people to join.

Anyone living in the Seaford area can send their details and a cheque for £1.50 payable to the Seaford Residents' Association, Freepost, Seaford, BN25 3BR.

Alternatively, visit the website at www.communigate.co.uk/sussex/seafordresidentsassociation