RESIDENTS and tourists were delighted to get their hands on a free copy of The Argus on Saturday as part of a special giveaway.

Argus staff gave away 1,000 newspapers and pens outside the Brighton Palace Pier where English Tourism Week was being celebrated.

Many jumped at the opportunity to collect a free copy.

Lorraine Bennett, retail development co-ordinator at The Argus, said: “The response has been amazing.

“People were so interested in coming to visit us and getting their goody bag courtesy of the Palace Pier who sponsored 1,000 copies to give away at the end of Tourism Week.”

English Tourism Week aims to showcase the vibrancy and quality of visitor attractions.

Businesses and tourism bosses gathered at a double decker bus outside the pier, where musicians entertained crowds.

Councillor Alan Robins, chair of the tourism, development and culture committee, said: “You only have to look around.

“There is always something going on and tourism is so important to the city.

“It represents thousands and thousands of pounds into the economy.

“Brighton just buzzes with tourism and this week has been a celebration of all that we do and all it means to us.”

The week was not only a celebration of popular tourist attractions in the city like the pier and the British Airways i360, but also a chance to focus on areas of the city that need more attention.

Further down Madeira Drive, a team of 20 volunteers worked hard to clean up a verge above the terraces.

Among the items collected were used needles, duvets and a tyre.

A crowd funder campaign raised more than £460,000 to kickstart the regeneration of the terraces by restoring three of the arches, which run for some 850 metres along the seafront and have fallen into disrepair.

Save Madeira Terrace campaigner Jax Atkins said: “The terraces are beautiful and really important to preserve, develop and for people to use.

“People use to walk under the terraces when it was too hot or raining but you can’t do that now.”

Businesses along Madeira Drive are also set to get a further boost when the Volks Railway line - the world’s oldest electric railway - opens on Monday.

It is set to attract large numbers to the eastern side of the pier.