Meanwhile, Brighton Tories try to pull plug on local business

Worrying news: today the St James's Area Action Group heard that a voluntary scheme by which city centre stores each chip in to a £2.5 million pot to fund Christmas Lights, secrity patrols, clean-ups and even marketing is under threat - thanks to a last minute council decision to withdraw a grant of just £25,000.

Yes, you heard it right - seed mony that could bring in 100 times its value for local businesses has fallen victim to the first round of Tory cuts - a decision that could force some small businesses to close their doors and speed up the corporate take-over of our central shopping areas.

Already it is rumoured that multi-national bogeyman McDonalds could be coming to St James's Street. (Just today the firm has been fingered in the US for fulling childhood obesity - you couldn't make this stuff up!)

Remember 'Be Local, Buy Local'? It seems the Tories who run Brighton and Hove City Council don't.