The number of people on out-of-work benefits in Sussex is likely to rise again before the county's economy is back on track, a Government minister has warned.

Employment Minister Chris Grayling, commenting on statistics showing 310 fewer people in the county claimed Jobseeker's Allowance (JSA) in September compared with the previous month, said he would be "very surprised" if the improvements continued without interruption.

Figures published today by the Office for National Statistics show that 26,258 people in Sussex claimed JSA in September - including 6,335 in Brighton and Hove.

While most areas recorded a monthly fall in claimants, some - Adur, Arun, Eastbourne and Horsham - saw an increase.

In Mid Sussex, the number stayed the same, on 1,282.

Mr Grayling, speaking to The Argus ahead of next week's spending review, which is likely to herald massive cuts to public spending, said any fall in unemployment was welcome.

But he said: "We are still very acutely aware of the very major economic challenges ahead.

“We are not on a gradual upwards path, trouble free. It will be a challenge to get things sorted out and deal with the deficit and I would not want to over-promise on employment prospects. I would be very surprised if we saw non-stop improvement with no challenges on the way. I'm very clear in saying there are big challenges ahead. We have got to be very cautious - we have a long way to go."