Tourism officials hope to lure disabled visitors to the South Coast to tap into a £40 billion market.

Brighton and Hove could become a premier holiday destination for an estimated 8.5 million disabled people in the UK if a major revamp of some the city's key attractions is approved.

The plans follow the first study of its kind in the country to find out how to make the city more attractive to disabled tourists.

Measures under consideration would also improve the quality of life for the city's estimated 13,000 disabled residents. New pavements, toilets and an online map of accessible parking are just some of the ideas suggested to entice some of the millions of disabled people who might otherwise be put off visiting the city because of poor access.

The online map could give disabled people a virtual tour of Brighton and Hove, telling them where they can shop, dine out or enjoy the nightlife with ease.

It would allow them to plan their trip in advance - and bring millions of pounds into the city.

Some of the changes to transform the city for disabled tourists could be put in place within months.

Researchers from charity Tourism For All have spent weeks carrying out a survey of the city's shops, restaurants, businesses and tourist attractions, assessing how easy and enjoyable they are to visit for wheelchair users and people with other disabilities.

The results of the study could become a benchmark for other towns and cities across the UK.

Tourism For All found the city already had many successful policies and schemes including good information for disabled visitors, a first-rate public transport network and excellent access to the main shopping and entertainment areas with a "shopmobility" scheme hiring out wheelchairs and electric scooters.

More work is needed and the audit highlighted how continued improvements to kerbs, paving, street furniture and disabled toilets in central areas would help the city to become even more successful in attracting disabled visitors.

Many streets are narrow, busy and cluttered with signs and advertising boards.

Proposals aim to strip the streets of clutter and iron out gaps and dips in pavements, roads and shop entrances.

The council's culture and tourism committee was today discussing the audit's findings and a timescale for implementing the recommendations.