People power has saved Brighton's History Centre from closure.

Brighton and Hove City Council's leader Mary Mears tonight announced it was scrapping cost-cutting proposals to axe the public archive, kept at Brighton Museum, in Church Street.

The u-turn follows weeks of pressure from the public, with dozens of people, including influential local historians, airing their opposition in letters to The Argus and elsewhere.

Almost 1,200 people signed a petition on the council's website.

Coun Mears announced the decision at a meeting of the council's cabinet at Hove Town Hall.

After the meeting she said: "Since this was proposed the level of affection for these services has become very obvious, so I’ve taken the decision to redirect some of our discretionary spending towards keeping these centres open.

"We are faced with a tough financial situation so we’ve got to ensure that we are using public money wisely."

The council had proposed closing the History Centre, and temporarily moving some of its collection to the Jubilee Library, in Jubilee Street, and putting the rest in storage ahead of the planned opening of "The Keep", a £19 million new records office at Falmer which would be shared with East Sussex County Council.