Do disabled people miss out?

The town may be ranked third among top seaside towns to live according to Halifax survey, but Stephen is far from satisfied with its facilities.

He said: "There are all these estate agents but there isn't a place for people like myself - I am a person with learning disabilities.

"There isn't a place for people to go to have a cup of coffee and a meal."

The nearest facility is the Seaview project centre in St Leonards but Stephen, 54, would like to see a drop-in centre here, feeling he shouldn't have to travel out of his home town.

He wants somewhere to socialise, eat and drink, where he could do voluntary work such as washing-up, and receive help and advice if necessary.

"I have been in Bexhill for two years. There has been nobody with the guts to bring it up, nobody to say there isn't any place in Bexhill.

"There could be somewhere with advisors dropping in once a month to help out with filling out forms, or maybe a local solicitor could come if you have got any legal problems with your landlord or people like that.

"I think it is discrimination."

Stephen was brain damaged at the age of two when he contracted encephalitis which he claims was caused by the whooping cough vaccine.

"Until then I was perfectly normal...I could walk and talk."

He has settled into life here and until recently helped out at a cafe until an epileptic fit made it impossible to continue.

"I live in Bexhill - I want to stop in Bexhill. I like Bexhill and I have got my friends here, for goodness sake.

"If I wanted to go over to St Leonards it would cost me my trainfare there and back again, which I can ill afford. I just want somewhere I can pop in for a cup of coffee."

Margaret Von Speyr of Bexhill Caring Community said: "This is one of the problems we have in Bexhill, we are so geared to the elderly."

She was not aware of a drop-in centre locally but said there were plans to develop the large room at the back of the Caring Community as a possible facility.