An historic tunnel hidden beneath seaside flats has been restored to give occupants exclusive access to the beach.

Tamworth House in Marine Parade, Brighton, was home to the Royal British Legion for more than half a century before its conversion into six luxury flats.

Developer Tamworth House Developments uncovered a secret underground tunnel running from the basement right down to Madeira Drive.

The developer spent £15,000 opening the 18ft high tunnel up and installing security gates at the bottom to give buyers of the flats exclusive beach access.

It is one of the only remaining tunnels built during the Regency period, when they were a popular feature, and has been reopened for the first time in decades.

Project manager Doug Pearch said his team crawled through an aperture at the tunnel's bottom end before realising its full extent.

After proving the tunnel belonged to the house and not the council, the team found a room at the end of the tunnel large enough to fit a horse and cart.

During the Second World War the room was filled with concrete as part of the sea defences and it took Mr Pearch's team two weeks with a mini-digger to chip it all away.

The team cleared away rubble and rubbish dumped in the tunnel over the years, reinstated the floor and installed lighting to make it usable.

Mr Pearch said: "Potential buyers of the flats are extremely interested in the tunnel. Apart from being extremely intriguing, it's a great way of getting to the beach without crossing the road."

The Grade II listed mansion dates from about 1820 and is thought to have been designed by renowned architect Sir Charles Barry, who also designed St Peter's Church.