COUNCILLORS will hold a closed meeting tonight to choose a buyer for a seaside hotel expected to sell for more than £500,000.

Swanley Town councillors will pick one of three potential bidders for Swanley Court Hotel, Eastbourne.

The hotel was valued at £500,000 four years ago but town clerk Brian Daley says it will go for more.

He said: "I can't say what the figure is but it is more than it was valued at. Three companies are fairly close to each other in terms of our asking price."

The selling price and the buyer will be revealed in May when a deal is finalised.

The decision to sell the Sussex hotel came in July last year after spiralling costs and a drop in bookings.

It was bought by the council in the 1970s to provide cheap, subsidised holidays for the town's pensioners.

But the over-60s will not lose out Mr Daley says £10,000 from the sale will be used for a scheme to take pensioners on day trips.