PROMENADE benches were torn from the Tarmac and tossed onto the beach, recycling bins were ripped from their fixings and even the Brighton Palace Pier shook as storms battered the city.

The extent of the damage caused to Brighton and Hove by the extreme weather conditions has been revealed by the council.

A spokesman listed the damage seen in the city on Saturday saying that 25 of the new recycling bins had been torn from their fixings, tonnes of beach pebbles were pushed up onto the promenade, three beach huts were damaged and benches were blown along the promenade.

He added that “the Palace Pier was closed as staff reported the structure was shaking and water was forcing its way through the boards”.

The pier was closed because pier workers put safety first to avoid slips and falls.

A spokesman said it is “a tribute to the Victorian construction and continual maintenance that the pier withstands what the elements throw at it”.

Despite the heavy storms seafront operations manager Chris Ingall revealed his team had “no major incident”.

He said: “The wind strength was really extreme, the strongest we have witnessed for many years.

“Coupled with the exceptionally large waves, the seafront took a battering.

“The fact we had no major incidents has a lot to do with the team being out and about on the quad bikes engaging with the public to prevent anyone getting too close to the seafront.”

The Seafront team took precautionary measures to minimise risk to beach-goers such as patrolling the seafront and warning people not to go too near to the shoreline, cordoning off dangerous areas and securing items such as upturned bins which could have caused harm.

Now a large-scale clean-up is taking place in an attempt to return the city to normal as soon as possible.

On Monday, a Brighton and Hove City Council spokesman said: “Our Cityclean, Highways and Seafront teams are making sure the city gets back to normal after Saturday’s violent storms – the worst we’ve seen in years.

“The tidy up has already started after the seafront was battered by howling winds, relentless rain and huge 20 feet waves.

“The clear up includes pushing back the vast amount of pebbles and shingle to allow people to walk along and enjoy the seafront.

“A team will begin working on the worst affected area from the King Alfred Leisure Centre to Hove Lawns, and we’re asking for everyone’s patience.”

He also said that “despite the relentless rain, most seafront properties escaped serious flooding” although he added that “businesses in and around the Palace Pier are believed to have suffered damage”.