A company has apologised after its researchers contacted people in Horsham claiming they worked for the council.

Research and Marketing of Cardiff carried out telephone surveys for a client about residents' attitudes to new housing.

Residents were also asked whether decisions on future development could affect their votes at the next district council elections.

The company has admitted that four of its 17 phone interviewers misled residents by claiming they were working for Horsham District Council.

It has now sent letters of apology to 132 people.

Research and Marketing managing director Sheila Jones said: "Once it was discovered we acted immediately to put the matter right."

The company says its client has now cancelled the surveys and will not be using any information from the interviews.

Council chairman Elizabeth Kitchen said she was horrified by what had happened. She said: "I would like to make it absolutely clear that the council had nothing whatsoever to do with it.

"Future housing development in the Horsham area is a particularly sensitive subject that is generating a great deal of interest.

"It is very damaging to have a private organisation conducting a survey that leads people to believe, completely wrongly, that one of the concerns for the council is whether their voting intentions would change with decisions on development."