Pier owners have moved a historic kiosk to prevent dare-devils hurling themselves into the sea from its roof.

Artist Faye Whittaker, who uses the 126-year-old kiosk on Brighton's Palace Pier as a gallery, has praised the Noble Organisation for its efforts to stop the dangerous summer craze, known as tombstoning.

It took ten men a day to push the kiosk away from the pier railings and cover it in greasy anti-vandal paint to stop the jumpers clambering on to the roof.

Ms Whittaker, 49, who returned to the pier this season after a threeyear break, said: "I think it must be the first time it has been moved in 100 years. At first the men said they were going to use a forklift truck but in the end they just shunted it along. It took the whole day so I sat at the side with my paintings.

"It seems to have stopped the problem. No one has jumped from the roof."

Ms Whittaker, of Davigdor Road, Hove, complained to pier owners the Noble Organisation last month, fearing one of the thrill-seekers could be injured or killed.

The jumpers persistently ignored her pleas to stop and she was concerned about possible damage to the ornate tiles on the roof of the kiosk, called a bell tower and originally used at the entrance to the Chain Pier in 1880.

At first David Biesterfield, one of the pier company directors, said there was little he could do but the kiosk was moved soon afterwards. Ms Whittaker added: "The Noble Organisation has come up trumps.

"I was really pleased with the outcome as the tower can be accessed now from all sides, even using wheelchairs and prams."

Jumpers have admitted the move makes sense as the craze begins to spiral out of control.

Labourer James Clarke, 18, who was pictured somersaulting from the tower last month, said: "I suppose it's sensible. Lots of people were starting to copy us and it was getting a bit out of hand."

He said he might continue to jump from the side of the pier but would not risk hurling himself from the helter-skelter as others have done in the past.

He added: "That's too dangerous I would never do that."

Coastguards and Sussex Police have warned tombstoners are leaping to an early grave and have been called to dozens of incidents as temperatures soar.

They are considering using Asbos to put a halt to the craze.

Last weekend lifeboat crews and port bosses at Shoreham were horrified to see teenagers jumping 50ft into shallow water at the harbour.

A 13-year-old boy suffered head and neck injuries at the entrance breakwater in June.