Sadness as the end of the pier show gets under way

WORK HAS started to start dismantling the part of Eastbourne Pier left devastated by a fire during the summer.
Demolition specialists cut through the steel carcass of Eastbourne Pier in East SussexDemolition specialists cut through the steel carcass of Eastbourne Pier in East Sussex
Demolition specialists cut through the steel carcass of Eastbourne Pier in East Sussex

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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Demolition 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.