A businessman has been sent hate mail after putting Christmas lights on his house to raise money for charity.

Robbie Raggio has decked his detached house out with an inflatable snowman on the roof and Santa legs sticking out of the windows.

Hundreds of lightbulbs and illuminated icicles adorn the walls and trees at the front of the property in Woodland Drive, Hove. The display cost more than £1,000.

Robbie, who owns Hove Car Wash, and wife Debbie have fixed a collecting box to their front wall with a banner asking people to give to help find a cause for Rett syndrome.

The debilitating neurological disease affects mostly girls aged up to two and leaves them with speech and mobility difficulties in later life.

Hundreds of people drive past the lights every day, many stopping opposite to admire them and to put money in the collecting box.

But Robbie and Debbie were stunned when they received hate mail in the post. It was addressed to "the occupier" and claimed to be from other residents in the road.

The letter said: "Your are obviously unaware of the effects your distasteful display is having on your neighbours.

"Your sign mentions the season of goodwill, yet you did not show any when you decided to inflict this disgraceful and wasteful use of power on other people.

"If you think any of us will contribute when you are wasting so much money on your own self-indulgence, think again.

"We shall be taking the matter to the council on the grounds that your glaring lights are invasive and pollute the environment. If you must be like Americans, please move to the USA."

Robbie said it was the third year he had put lights up at Christmas but the first time he had done it to raise money for charity.

He said: "In the first week we have raised more than £200 from people passing by.

"Until now we have not had any negative comments about them and thought they made everyone smile.

"We turn them on between 7am and 8am and from dusk until 11pm every day so they are hardly intrusive. And after all, it is only for a few weeks a year.

"It is not very nice to receive a letter like this, especially when we are raising money for charity.

"If whoever is responsible for it would like to knock on my door I will invite them in to explain to them what Rett syndrome is and why we are doing this."

Neighbour Lesley Bradley, who lives opposite the Raggios, said: "The lights are fun and brighten up the road. They seem to be giving people a lot of pleasure because cars keep stopping outside their house.

"I suppose some people might feel put out but we have got no objections to them."