An exhibition of the government's preferred 5.5 mile route through Kent and Sussex went on display last week.

But residents have called for a new exhibition to be held after plans for an embankment were shown as being half the actual size.

The agency said there was a printing error on the plans and its staff were on hand to explain what they meant.

'Quite appalled'

The A21 is the main road connecting Hastings and London.

The new route would see the villages of Flimwell, Hurst Green and Silver Hill bypassed.

It will run from the south end of the dual carriageway at Flimwell to the top of the Robertsbridge bypass.

Details of the proposed bypass route have been on display in the post offices in Flimwell, Hurst Green and Robertsbridge.

The new bypass would start from the dual carriageway at Flimwell

But the embankment drawing shows it to be 5m instead of the 10m it actually is.

Paula Williams, from the A21 Sussex Action Group, said: "Basically they realised there was an error on the cross-sectional drawings at the exhibition.

"I was quite appalled because that exhibition is the only exhibition being held on the preferred route for the A21.

"We would like correct information to be shown at this exhibition but also for there to be a three-dimensional scale model of the entire route from Ladywell junction down to Robertsbridge."

A Highways Agency spokesman said: "Unfortunately, the scale of the long section of the scheme was compressed during the printing process to enable to fit onto the display."

The spokesman said another exhibition would not be held.