Sadness as the end of the pier show gets under way


A team of experts using cutting torches were hoisted into position to begin slicing through the steel carcass of the dome-shaped amusement arcade at the front of the Victorian pier.
The section, once home to banks of fruit machines, ride-on toys and grabbers, bore the brunt of the fire which left it a scorched shell on July 30.
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Hide AdDemolition work of the arcade is expected to take eight weeks, but the front of the Grade II*-listed pier will remain open during that time, while the end of it will be off limits while cranes operate.
The fire on the 144-year-old, 1,000ft-long attraction came at the worst possible time for traders in the East Sussex resort, at the height of the all-important summer tourist season.
Traders, some of whom did not have insurance, were told their rent would be waived until the end of the season, and a discount offered on their 2015/16 fees.
Up to 80 firefighters tackled the inferno on the attraction, which happened in broad daylight but mercifully resulted in no-one being injured.