HOVE Lagoon has reopened “cleaner than ever” following around three months of closure.

The project is thought to be the most thorough in about 20 years.

The thorough clean-up follows an attempt last year that drew huge criticism from Cllrs Robert Nemeth and Garry Peltzer Dunn, and the Friends of Hove Lagoon.

A second clean was agreed to by Brighton and Hove City Council following the outcry.

The programme of works involved first removing water from Hove Lagoon’s two pools.

After three weeks of natural draining, the remaining water was pumped out.

Two hundred and fifty tonnes of combined sludge and solid waste was then removed from the site using diggers, vacuum tankers, road sweepers and hook lift vehicles.

Crabs and flat fish were collected in buckets during the draining process and many more other items including 200 shoes were removed.

A drone, a remote control boat, phones, sunglasses, toy cars, coins, a dog lead and a Buzz Lightyear toy were amongst the curious finds.

It was then refilled using the lagoon’s regular sea water filling pipe which also took two weeks.

All sludge waste was taken to and then processed it at contractor Sweeptech’s 36-acre permitted waste recycling facility in Henfield.

The facility separated the waste back into original material fractions thus converting each fraction into ‘end of waste’ aggregates that will be re-used within Sussex by various contractors including Highway and Groundwork contractors.

The 254 tonnes of collected waste sludge was separated into 47% sand, 23% shingle and 30% silt.

Cllr Robert Nemeth said: I have followed this project with a huge amount of interest and can’t speak highly enough of Sweeptech’s thoroughness and professionalism throughout. Hove Lagoon Wastersports is now back open with a much improved facility at their disposal. It’s another win for Hove lagoon.”

Shaun Gilbert, Sweeptech’s Chief Operating Officer, said: “Through our longstanding working partnership with Brighton & Hove Council, I felt compelled to commit our company to deliver the three-week deep clean on a not-for-profit basis. We are really delighted with the project result and I am now looking forward to sipping a ‘Fat Boy Slim’ latte while watching the facility used to its full potential ”