Brighton and Hove; the home of naturism, Des Lynam and one of the most pebbly beaches in the country.

But as if these claims to fame weren't enough the town has now launched an audacious attempt to steal Southampton's thunder.

For Brighton wants to become a city and in its bid to the Queen it makes a claim to be the "natural regional capital of the South East".

It makes the claim in literature accompanying its bid to become one of two new cities to be created by the Queen to mark the new millennium next year and her Golden Jubilee in 2002.

The bid says: "It is the natural regional capital of the South East outside London. With 250,000 people, it is larger than Portsmouth and Southampton."

But former mayor Jack Candy, an active member of Southampton Civic Society, said Brighton did not have the strength to be a regional centre.

He said: "We have a fair amount of industry, we are a significant port. I don't know if they have anything comparable. Other than the aquarium and a stony beach, they have got a shabby under-promenade set of shops and they have got inherited items like the Pavilion.

"They haven't even got a decent football team. They have got a lot of squatters down there, problems with drugs and so on and I think of them as a second-grade holiday resort with a stony beach.

"If they can persuade someone to call them a city I suppose it lowers the standards they require for cities. Southampton does have a little bit more going for it."

But Southampton's politicians were more circumspect. Deputy city council leader John Arnold said: "Southampton is the regional city for what we regard as the real region, which is central south England. Brighton may well have a claim to be the regional city for the South East area. We would have a common interest with Brighton and possibly with Milton Keynes in developing strong alternative urban centres to the London metropolis."

John Denham, the MP for Southampton Itchen and minister for health, said Southampton was the leading city of the South and would not talk about Brighton's claim to be the capital of the wider region.

He said: "What is very clear is that Southampton is the capital of the South and that the area from Bournemouth and Poole to Southampton and Portsmouth is one of the most exciting and dynamic regions in the country."

Simon Fanshawe, the broadcaster heading Brighton and Hove's bid, said there was no intention to stir up civic rivalry on the South Coast - but he could not resist cracking a joke at Southampton's booming cruise industry. He said: "You could say Southampton is a great place to leave but Brighton is a good place to go to.".

Converted for the new archive on 25 January 2001. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.