A famous singer has spoken of his sadness at the demolition of a night club which inspired one of his best-known hits.

Leo Sayer was a student at Worthing Art College in the Sixties when he started going to the Mexican Hat venue.

He played harmonica for a band called Patches at the club, situated at the corner of Eriswell Road and Rowlands Road, Worthing, next to the Gala bingo hall.

The Mexican Hat was the inspiration for Moonlighting, about a van driver who tried to elope to Gretna Green with the daughter of Worthing's chief of police.

It was the first night club for teenagers in the town and was later renamed the Carioca.

Leo, who was born in Shoreham, said: "I am sorry to hear it has been demolished but times change.

"The Mexican Hat will be warmly remembered by many old musicians.

"It is where we played a lot of gigs and used to hang out. It was a great place to go, although a little sleazy.

"I saw a lot of bands there. They used to squeeze them up on a tiny stage in the days when there weren't many venues.

"It was a hub of activity in Worthing and certainly part of the history of the music scene back in the Sixties."

But the club was in a residential area and householders plagued by late-night noise, vandalism and violence launched a successful campaign to stop it reopening with a larger capacity and a new name, More.

Workmen are now building a five-storey apartment block, with shops on the ground floor, for a housing association to provide affordable homes.

Leo said: "Worthing was always seen as a retirement town.

"The very fact that Worthing's youth dared to hang around there and talk in loud voices was severely frowned upon.

"If you were into anything rebellious, Worthing was a difficult place to grow up.

"If you saw a paper bag blowing down the street it caused a scandal."

Moonlighting was based around the club and the lyrics described nearby Montague Street.

Leo said: "Moonlighting is all about a van driver we knew.

"He met a girl, fell in love, and they went off to Gretna Green to get married but she was the daughter of Worthing's chief of police and they were stopped before they got there."

The Mexican Hat opened at the end of November 1962 and was an immediate hit.

About 500 youngsters crowded into the venue on the first night.

From Monday to Thursday, teenagers danced around to Raife Allen and the Aztecs, who were joined by Gene Coben and the Chimes on Fridays.