Tourists to Brighton and Hove are set to be given a warm welcome by its residents.

Brighton and Hove City Council is pushing ahead with plans for enthusiastic locals to greet visitors and give them a resident's-eye view of their holiday destination.

The volunteer greeter scheme will enable visitors to book up to four hours with a resident, who will offer a personal tour of their favourite spots.

It is expected to be approved by the council on September 15 and will go live on October 2.

The city will be the first in the UK to implement a volunteer greeter scheme.

Tours can be applied for via the VisitBrighton website. The request will then be sent out to volunteers by email.

When a greeter responds, they will be put in touch with the visitor and arrange to meet at the city's Visitor Information Centre at an agreed time.

A council spokesman said: "This is a lovely way of giving visitors a really personal introduction to the city. It will mean they can make the best use of their precious time here.

“For the greeter, it's a tremendous opportunity to meet people from around the world who share your particular passions."

The scheme has already been a success in a number of cities including Chicago, New York, Houston and Adelaide.

New York’s Big Apple Greeter has welcomed 75,000 visitors from all 50 US states, 124 countries and in 22 languages.

A survey has shown that 97% of people said greeters made their visit more enjoyable.