A thief is thought to have stolen an indoor display of plans for a new £30 million ice rink.

Plans for the proposed scheme at Black Rock, Brighton, were on display in the foyer at the Brighton Centre.

An ice rink has been laid at the centre during the school summer holidays for the Get Your Skates On event, which lasts until September 8.

Hundreds of skaters have been enjoying the facility, which had been used for the Holiday on Ice shows earlier this year.

At the same time, Keep Sussex Skating Association had a display of the plans for the development at Black Rock, which will give Brighton its first major ice rink since the Sixties.

Association members had been manning the display and answering questions about the proposed development, backed by ice skating stars Robin Cousins and Jayne Torvill.

But they were mystified to find their display and plans had disappeared.

Adhesive marked the spots from where the plans had been taken.

Patricia Ginman, of the association, said: "We are mystified. All the people coming to the event have been fully supportive of the scheme and want to see these plans put into fruition at Black Rock.

"I am certain staff at the centre are not to blame.

"We are worried someone may have taken the plans to copy them. We are concerned as to what has happened to them."

The ice rink is on a short list of four for the Black Rock site, which has been a blot on Kemp Town seafront since the old outdoor swimming pool was closed in 1978.

Brighton and Hove City Council has asked all four developers on the short list to submit more detailed plans.

Wendy Walton, of the Brighton Centre, said: "We have no idea how these plans came down. It is nothing to do with any member of our staff. Considering the warm weather we are doing really well with Get Your Skates On, with more than 1,500 skaters in the first week.

"We have no problem with this display in the foyer."