CLEANING ‘vigilantes’ armed with scourers, white spirit and muscle power have spruced up the seafront.

The gang took to the Grade II listed Madeira Terrace lift in Brighton to scrub and clean the landmark.

Cleaner Carol Homewood said: “We have something nice, then some people make it rubbish.

“We can’t rely on the council to do everything.

“It’s a beautiful day for it. It’s nice and warm - and we’ve nothing else to do.”

Vandals had defaced the lift, which still operates at some points during the year.

Using paint and pen, they sprayed tags - nicknames - and scribbled lewd statements, writing lyrics from the American rapper Eminem.

Carol, Jax Atkins, and her daughter Rebecca Bunker, spent the morning cleaning it off - spurred on by the good weather and love of the city’s heritage.

Jax said: “People respect their neighbourhood, but everyone should respect their heritage.

“Currently, it looks dirty and unkept and if you leave it, people will do more.

“We’re not worried about health and safety, we’re over 18 and we know what we’re doing.

“And if the taggers want to come back, we’ll come back down and clean up all over again.”

Jax Atkins is currently looking for prizes for the Madeira Terrace raffle, which aims to raise money for the seafront’s crumbling Victorian architecture.