Ambridge has The Archers, Walford has the Watts and now Brightonand Hove has its own cast of colourful characters - brought to life in a radio soap opera.

Hanover Square, the creation of writers Nick McMaster and Claudia Mayfield, has been almost two years in the making and aired online for the first time last week.

Featuring a mix of professional and amateur actors, it follows the lives of yuppie couple Adam and Eva, 12-year-old boy genius Harry and a butcher who falls in love with the owner of a vegetarian grocery store.

Nick, 37, and Claudia, 36, who both work at Millview Hospital in Nevill Avenue, Hove, started writing the soap after brainstorming over a bottle of wine in summer 2004.

Rehearsals and recording took place in Nick's sitting room and the soap was edited late into the night on his computer.

Nick, from Hove, said: "We have always both loved comedy and we started fantasising about things we would like to write. This was the end result.

"At first we wanted to make it like The League Of Gentlemen but it has gradually changed and developed over time. It is quite surreal and has a British sense of humour about it.

"We have focused on issues relating to the community like the conflict between old traditional pubs and new trendy bars or families moving to the area from London. There are quite a few in-jokes which regular listeners can pick up on if they want to."

Although Hanover Square is a fictional road, the pair have based it on the site of a former reservoir off Islingword Road, Brighton.

Nick, who used to live in Hanover, said he chose the area because it is one of the most well-known parts of Brighton.

He said: "It was the most obvious place to go for. It's got an image - there are colourful little houses, the Open House trails and small businesses.

"It's sometimes called muesli mountain and is quite liberal and Bohemian."

Professional actors volunteered their time to record the first series, which Nick hopes will become The Archers of Brighton and Hove.

He and Claudia are now working on a second series.

He added: "I'll probably go back to it in the future and brush it up a bit but it's amazing to know that we have done it and there are people out there listening to it."

To listen, visit www.hanoversquare.org