SEASIDE resorts up and down the region are gearing up for a bumper Easter weekend as people flock to the seaside because of closures in the countryside.

At Saltburn, on the east Cleveland coast, a Victorian cliff lift reopens tomorrow.

The council is also expecting hoards of visitors to Marske and Redcar, while, further down the coast, the seaside resorts of Whitby and Scarborough are also preparing for an influx of visitors.

Whitby's tourist information centre has had a £300,000 refit and now includes an interactive display on the history and themes of the seaside favourite and its surrounding area.

The first phase of a major programme of floodlighting is switched on in Scarborough, at 9pm on Saturday. The lights will flood over the Grand Hotel, Spa Bridge, Rotunda Museum and Toll House.

Coun David Jeffels, portfolio holder for tourism and leisure with Scarborough Borough Council, said: "We are bracing ourselves for an absolutely bumper Easter.

"Car parks have been filling up, the beach has been busy and people have been taking advantage of the chance to get out and about and enjoy a day at the seaside. They have found that we are very much open for business and, by the Easter weekend, we will be ready to give them a tremendous welcome."

Saltburn's lift was built in 1884 and is the oldest water-balanced lift in the British Isles. It is powered by two huge water tanks, the main one holding 30,000 gallons and the second one containing 18,500 gallons.

Other attractions in the town include the Saltburn Smugglers, which charts the town's smuggling history and the Woodlands Centre in the Valley Gardens.

And, although the famous pier remains closed an improvement project is carried out, the works have become an attraction in their own right, bringing visitors to check on the progress being made.

The miniature railway will also be closed due to work to realign the track and move the ticket office.

A spokesman for Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council said: "We hope people practise only clean habits, not drop litter and respect the seaside as they would the countryside."