One of Brighton's most historic buildings has undergone a major change - but the majority of passers-by will not have noticed.

The sign on The Grand, a symbol of Brighton's Victorian heyday and a poignant reminder of the 1984 Brighton bombing, has disappeared.

The familiar gold lettering has been taken down and new letters will be put up at the end of the week. An extra De Vere prefix, reflecting the hotel's parent company, will be added later.

Kathryn Ball, a spokeswoman for the hotel, said: "The new Grand sign is going up on Friday.

"Then, on September 26, there will be another sign going up that says De Vere. The new sign will be similar to the previous sign and gold-plated.

"The old sign came down at the beginning of last week but I am not sure what will be happening to it. It is not original but it is quite ancient."

The hotel was originally constructed in 1864 with the central facade being symmetrical.

The building was later extended with an eastern annexe. A western annexe was added after the bombing.

The gold nameplate became familiar to a worldwide audience in October 1984 after an IRA bomb exploded in the hotel during the Tory party conference, killing five people and injuring 32.