A petition has been launched to try to save one of Brighton's oldest seafront attractions.

The paddling pool near West Pier has been open for 65 years but council contractors have drained and locked it up for the last time.

Katrina Palsager, whose two children love the paddling pool, is starting a petition to try to keep it open.

She said: "It's the last free place for parents to take their children - everything else has to be paid for. Now that has to be ripped away from us.

"I am really appalled about it.

Anybody who has any interest should get together and try to stop this happening."

She said her two children, Emily and Daniel, felt extremely sad and will "miss the pool terribly".

Brighton and Hove Council is building a new wet and dry play area for youngsters by the bandstand and claims it is too expensive to build that and maintain the existing one.

But residents and seafront traders, shocked by the unexpected closure of the existing pool, and they have been backed by the Brighton Society.

Work will start at the end of the month on the new facility, which the council says will be open in time for next summer.

It will have climbing frames, shaded areas, children's toilets, a bubble maker and adult supervision areas.

A spokesman for Brighton and Hove Council said: "The cost is £660,000. This is a massive investment for local kids.

"As far as the council is concerned, the current pool is not good enough for Brighton and Hove's children.

"Scrapping the pool is an integral part of redeveloping the West Pier, because that development will either use or build upon the area where it is."

If you want to join Miss Palsager in trying to save the West Pier paddling pool from closure, call her on 07808 773490 or call in at Foodbar on Preston Street.