Unless the paint industry has come up with a suitable product, people may have to learn to live with rust spots at the bandstand on Brighton seafront (The Argus, December 12).

Back in the 1960s I was one of the Hove Corporation staff that painted the promenade railings. We also painted the beach huts, lamp posts, public seats and council buildings.

Painting the promenade railings was an annual job. We would first chip off heavy rust and then remove other debris using a wire brush. Where bare metal was visible a coat of red oxide paint was applied (it may have contained lead). This was followed by undercoat paint and a coat of gloss, all in what we called Hove Corporation Green.

The railings always looked good but there was no stopping the reappearance of rust spots after the sea elements had taken their toll. For the most part the railings remained in good condition but this wasn’t necessarily down to the materials that were used or their application. The protection the railings enjoyed was down to the years of previous paint application that could be as much as 4mm thick.

Perhaps the answer to the Brighton Bandstand problem is to give the structure numerous coats of paint. The thicker the paint is, the better the protection.

Ken Strudwick, Hayley Road, Lancing