Brighton and Hove City Council is being mean to people who rent beach huts at Rottingdean.

Because of work on the Undercliff Walk, sunbathers have not been able to use the huts except at weekends.

But the council has still been charging them the full rent of £230 a year.

Many of these people are retired and would have been using the huts on many days during the week in this hot and steamy summer.

The rents for these huts are low compared with those in many other resorts but that is not the issue.

If they cannot use their beach huts all the time, these owners are entitled to proper compensation.

It's not too much to suggest the council should refund them at least half their fee for this year.