Councillors have backed calls for a full-size Olympic ice rink to be built in Brighton and Hove.

But they stopped short of saying it should be on the site of the old Black Rock swimming pool in Kemp Town.

More than 7,000 people signed a petition organised by Keep Sussex Skating calling for the rink to be built at Black Rock and for the Brighton Tigers ice hockey team to be reinstated.

The document was presented to Brighton and Hove City Council by Rottingdean Coastal Tory councillor David Smith.

He told the culture committee there had not been a major rink in Brighton since the closure at the King's West centre more than 30 years ago.

He called for a national stadium to be built in Brighton.

He said: "If we don't get on with a rink at Black Rock, we will never get one at all."

Labour councillor Francis Tonks supported the concept of a new rink.

But he said it would be improper to call for it to be at Black Rock before the council had evaluated three competing bids for the site.