Rail campaigners were today carrying out a head-count of people using Hassocks rail station.

Hassocks Amenity Association counted passengers during this morning's rush hour as part of a campaign to have the station rebuilt and rail services improved.

The association disputes figures given to them by train operator Govia showing the station is not well used.

Recently Govia cut services due to driver shortages so outside rush hour there are no direct trains to London.

Association member Gina Field said: "Outside rush hour times you have to change at Haywards Heath or East Croydon to get to London because they have said there are insufficient passenger numbers at Hassocks to go direct to Victoria.

"This alarmed everyone because we don't know what the figure is.

"When we asked them we got three different figures and we are certain they have miscalculated."

Mrs Field said each time a train pulled into the station today they counted the number of people on the platform.

The association also had two people on the entrance counting those coming into the station.

Once they have the figures they will present them to Govia. The rail operator uses a carriage weight system to estimate how many people are using the trains.

Govia's Martin Walter insisted the company's figures were accurate.

He said: "The number of trains represent 5,400 seats for customers but that is a huge number of seats if you look at the actual passenger numbers of between 170 and 250.

"If you want additional services you have got a hard job when that amount of spare capacity is available.

"The reason we know the figures are accurate is because we have computerised loading machines which use the load of the train. It is far more accurate than doing a passenger count and we say on accuracy the figures are 99 per cent accurate."