More leaving Arun to start life overseas

An analysis of data from the Office for National Statistics reveals some 2,250 people left the town between 2001 and 2006 to live overseas.

The flow of people to countries such as Australia, South Africa and New Zealand is included in the total resident emigration figure of 4,500 for the Arun district.

This placed the local authority area eighth in a national league table of net international emigration.

The same period was said by the ONS to see 3,200 immigrants arrive in the district.

Paul Arthur, a director of The Emigration Group, said he was unsurprised by the figures.

"Middle England is on the move and it's well-off commuter towns in areas like Arun which are the hot spots for emigration," he explained.

He stated many factors were fuelling the desire to start afresh abroad.

These included unhappiness about the current levels of immigration, crime and tax.

The property boom has also allowed homeowners to unlock the wealth which has accumulated in their bricks and mortar to use in countries where housing is cheaper.

But younger people are also eager to go overseas because they cannot get on the UK property ladder.

Added to these circumstances was the need for Australia and New Zealand to fill huge shortfalls in skilled labour, added Mr Arthur.