An iconic lido welcomed swimmers and sunbathers for its second summer season on Saturday.

Saltdean Lido in Brighton threw open its doors for the summer months once again following its reopening last year.

The Grade II* listed lido originally opened in 1938 and closed in 2012, when its then-owner Dennis Audley planned to build apartments on the site.

But thanks to campaigners and crowdfunding initiatives, the 40-metre pool was restored to its former glory in a £3 million project.

The pool had to close at around 3pm due to a problem with the chlorine and pump, but the grounds and kids pool stayed open.

Chris Talman, from Brighton, visited the lido on opening day with his wife Amy and their four-year-old daughter, Ava.

He said: “This is a destination for people in the local area, it’s easy for families if you want an alternative to the beach and it’s great for kids.

“We will definitely be back here throughout the summer.”

Alexandra Bishop, who was down from Harrogate for the weekend visiting friends, with her three children Thomas, 2, Georgia, 4, and Oliver, 6, said: “There is nothing like this back home.

“The children love water so they are really excited to be here.”

Deryck Chester, one of the volunteer directors at the lido, said: “Last summer, we had more than 37,000 visitors over 99 days.

“We hope to do even better than that this year.

“It is such a fantastic leisure facility.

“I used to swim here as a kid so it was always important to me that as many people as possible benefit rather than just one individual turning it into profit.

“It has a broad appeal, from serious swimmers and athletes, to leisure seekers and tourists.

“We are thrilled that the public have got behind it in the way that they have.”

The volunteers that currently run the pool are now raising money for the second phase of the restoration, which will focus on the iconic building that sits beside the pool.

They have so far raised more than £92,000 of their £101,750 target, which will help unlock lottery funding and other grants.

Deryck added: “We want to bring the building into the 21st century, by making it a private hire venue, a place for weddings with our art deco ballroom, and a commercial space.

“We plan to open a heritage cafe where people can learn about Brighton’s seaside architecture and a library.

“We want to make it work as a visitor destination with multiple income streams.”

The lido will be hosting an 80s night on June 8 and the Brighton Beach Boys will be performing live on June 9 to celebrate its 80th birthday.

To donate, go to spacehive.com/saltdean-lido.