More than 170 roles are being created at a green power company.

The Minister of State for Business and Enterprise, Mark Prisk MP, opened a new factory for Ceres Power in Horsham.

The firm has created the highly skilled 'green collar' jobs at the manufacturing facility in Foundry Lane, Horsham and its technology centre in Denvale Trade Park, Crawley.

The company develops fuel cell technology for heating and power.

It plans to produce up to 30,000 fuel cell products a year. It has teamed up with British Gas to install its energy-saving products in homes nationwide and also has plans to export.Mr Prisk said: "Ceres Power's work in developing a revolutionary new product that can convert natural gas into electricity and heat without burning it will cut costs of annual energy bills and has the potential to make a major contribution to reducing carbon emissions in millions of homes in the UK and across Europe."Brian Count, executive chairman of the company, said Ceres Power is committed to maintaining its position in the UK as a leader in the deployment and manufacture of low carbon advanced manufactured products.

Meanwhile a home care provider will create 20 new jobs by the end of the year.

Bluebird Care has opened its 100th office in Brighton and Hove.

The office in Westbourne Street, Hove will provide home visits to customers and their families in Brighton and Hove, Portslade, Preston Park, Kemp Town, Rottingdean, Saltdean and the surrounding areas.

The office is owned and operated by husband and wife team David and Roxana Steedman.

* The number of people claiming unemployment benefits has fallen across Sussex, bucking the national trend.

Official figures showed that 26,155 people claimed Jobseekers' Allowance in June, a drop of 469 from the previous month and the fourth decrease in a row.

Chichester was the only district where a slight increase was recorded.

The figures were welcomed by Mark Froud, chief executive of Sussex Enterprise, who admitted he was surprised by the drop, because many local firms were still shying away from recruiting full-time staff.He said: "We are obviously delighted by the figures, and at the same time we are surprised, because the messages we are picking up from employers are that they are not necessarily rushing to take people on at the moment."