A city street plagued by graffiti and pigeon excrement will be brought back to life under new plans.

The Toy and Model Museum, in Trafalgar Street, Brighton, will replace “modern brickwork” which fills its Victorian arches with windows.

It will “regenerate the area by illuminating the street and revealing its unique treasures”, the museum said.

“The project will completely illuminate the underpass. Light will spill out through the glazed windows and we will be putting Victorian lanterns in between the arches,” said Jan Etches, the museum’s general manager.

“There will also be a CCTV camera, so the benefit to Brighton is significant and to all the people who use the North Laine area.”

The museum already has around £60,000 to fund the project but is hoping to raise the same amount again via a Crowdfunder so the work can begin.

“One of the first things visitors to Brighton see is a gloomy underpass daubed with graffiti and strewn with old posters and stickers,” said Jan.

The Argus: Plans showing how the street could look when the project is completePlans showing how the street could look when the project is complete (Image: BHCC)

“With your generous contributions, we aim to restore and upgrade the Trafalgar Street location, ensuring its continued presence as a vibrant hub for education, exploration, and joy.

“Our mission is to conserve, exhibit, and celebrate a diverse collection of toys that have fascinated and delighted people of all ages.”

In 2022, museum owner Chris Littledale shared his “happy experience” of spending time with the lead singer of Status Quo as part of BBC’s Celebrity Antiques Road Trips.

Chris welcomed Francis Rossi to the museum as part of filming for the show.

READ MORE: Status Quo singer visits Brighton Toy Museum for BBC2 TV show

In the episode, the pair looked at some of the rare and vintage trains that the museum houses and saw the band’s frontman helping to repair one of the locomotives.

Chris, who has run the museum since its opening in 1991, said: “He was a lovely man to deal with and he was very easygoing. He had a wicked sense of humour.

“He absolutely loved the railway and we had a lot of fun. We just had so much in common.”