A seafront grot-spot has been given a long overdue facelift after the owners were handed a legal notice.

Medina House in Kings Esplanade, Hove, which was built in the 19th century as a Turkish baths, fell into a state of disrepair after being occupied by squatters.

The building’s owners, Anis and Sirus Taghan, were served with an enforcement notice by Brighton and Hove Council after repeated requests for the building to be renovated.

The notice gave the owners six months to clean and repaint the southern and western elevations of the building, to replace breeze blocks from windows and replace the blocks with glazing, repair all broken doors and windows and repaint external window frames, door frames and soffits as well as re-rendering the eastern side of the property.

'Democracy in action'

Christopher Hawtree, the chairman of the council’s planning committee, said: “The Hove seafront in its variety – from the twitten cottages to the mansions with their towers – is continually fascinating.

“On a good day, the sea is worthy of Monet at his finest, and even energising on a rough day.

“It is, obviously enough, a reason why people live here.

“A stroll along the front is democracy in action.

“It’s always a shame when we have to resort to legal action to encourage property owners to act responsibly and maintain their buildings.

“However, I am pleased that these property owners have responded and are now carrying out the necessary repairs, which are already making some improvement to the surrounding area.”