Brighton War Memorial to be cleaned ahead of Remembrance Sunday

Residents have raised concerns about the state of some of the city's memorials.

But Brighton and Hove City Council has reassured people that regular cleaning regimes are in place, focusing in particular on the lead up to the November services.

Former serviceman John Marchant, from Goodwood Way in Brighton contacted his local MP and city council leader Jason Kitcat calling for cleaning work to be carried out on the war memorial in Old Steine Gardens, Brighton.

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Mr Goodwood said: “I walked past the war memorial and as an ex-service man I was disgusted to see the state it is in.

“The people of this city expect more respect from this council to keep the memorial to our fallen heroes past and present in a clean condition all the time.

“The residents of this city expect to be able pay their respects in front of a clean memorial on Remembrance Sunday.”

A council spokeswoman said the memorial at the Old Steine is litter picked daily, the grass cut on a minimum of a two weekly cycle and the pool at the southern frontage of the memorial is emptied, cleaned and refilled once a fortnight.

The authority said the stone work of the memorial can only be cleaned twice a year during the spring and just before the Remembrance Services because any more frequent work would erode the Portland stone monument.

The same process is also carried out all other memorials in the city including in Grand Avenue in Hove, Regency Square and The Chattri on the Downs above Patcham although these are only cleaned once a year as they suffer less from pollution, dirt and discolouration.

The council also said it was working with The War Memorials Trust to marking all the bronze elements of the city's memorials with Smartwater to protect them from the risk of metal thieves.

Coun Kitcat said: “We take great care of our memorials and have a regime of cleaning and maintenance in place.

“This happens all year round as well as before Remembrance Sunday.”