End of the pier: Horrifying aerial images show utter devastation of Eastbourne Pier after inferno destroys 144 years of history

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After a day of drama yesterday, residents of Eastbourne today awoke to discover the domed arcade on their town's famous pier has been reduced to a smouldering skeleton of burnt metal and ashes.

These pictures reveal the full devastation caused by the fire which engulfed the 144-year-old historic pier yesterday afternoon, reducing a large part of the iconic structure to a blackened wreckage.

Investigators at the scene have told MailOnline that, from initial inspections, they believe the pier can be saved, although the huge cost of the clear up and rebuilding project has yet to be estimated.

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Devastation: Shocking aerial photos show the skeletal remains of the piers' domed amusement arcade after fire ripped through the iconic structure yesterday morning

Operation: Firefighters continued to douse the structure with water this morning, as photos emerged showing the full extent of the devastation caused the by the blaze

Destroyed: An Eastbourne Police photograph showing the destruction done to Eastbourne Pier arcade following the fire yesterday

Ravaged: Photos taken from above show the beach-end of the pier has been reduced to its metalwork while the section which goes out to sea remains untouched

Skeleton: Locals and tourists inspected the damage this morning after many stood on the beach yesterday and watched the historic building go up in smoke

At the height of yesterday afternoon's blaze, 80 firefighters tackled the flames from the shore, the sea and from underneath the pier.

Up to 20 firefighters remained at the site this morning as they continued to damp down and reach remaining 'hotspots' on the pier. Fire chiefs expected to further scale down their efforts on the Grade II-listed Victorian structure during the course of the morning.

Des Prichard, Chief Fire Officer of East Sussex Fire and Rescue Service, said this morning that a section of the landmark has been saved, but the amusement arcade building where the blaze broke out at around 3pm has been left a charred mass of metal.  

However, after investigators expressed hope the pier could still be saved, Eastbourne's Liberal Democrat MP Stephen Lloyd said he hoped the attraction will be bringing tourists to the area again as soon as next summer.

He said: 'There is real damage but I'm confident that it can be repaired. It's still very much still standing, and I'm very hopeful and confident that it will be reopening next year and be back in business.'

Speaking outside the fire-damaged attraction, Mr Lloyd added: 'The key now is for four things. One, I want a schedule put in place for repair.

'I have been talking to the chief fire officer yesterday. They obviously need to check, but from his experience he thought the structure looked pretty sound.

'Two-thirds of the pier is untouched, thank heavens. The amusement arcade is obviously burnt to a crisp.

'But if the structure is sound, it can be relatively easy to repair. That's really important. Secondly, I want a clear message that Eastbourne is very much open for business. We have got the airshow in two weeks, which I think is pretty much the biggest airshow along the south coast. 

Local MP Stephen Lloyd has said he believes there is real hope the building could still be repaired and may even be reopened before next summer's tourist season

All that remains: A metal shell is all that remains of the dome-shaped amusement arcade building, which was the worst-hit part of the pier

Hope: Despite the huge fire yesterday, the town's MP has said he believes the pier can be repaired, allowing it to bring tourists back to the area by next summer

Investigation: Experts have been called in from around the country to examine the wreckage, with some suggesting the structure of the pier is not too badly damaged

Damping down: Up to 20 firefighters were continuing to damp down and reach remaining hotspots as dawn broke on fire-ravaged Eastbourne Pier today 

Shell: After an afternoon watching their town's proudest attraction go up in smoke yesterday, residents of Eastbourne woke to see the burnt-out shell this morning 

Landmark: Many in Sussex and further afield have happy memories of holidays spent beside the seaside town's pier and they were left heartbroken by the fire

It is feared that some business owners on the pier face the prospect of financial hardship after it emerged that some of them are not insured.

Mr Lloyd added: 'I know there are some issues around the concessionaires. I was talking to one late last night. He said that kiosks and concessionaires on piers can't get insurance, so therefore his livelihood has gone up in smoke.

'If that's the case, what I want the council and others to do is to rally round to help people in that situation.'

Mr Lloyd added the fire was a 'tragedy' but the extent of the damage could not compared to neighbouring piers in Brighton or Hastings, which both suffered greatly following fires in recent times. 

Discussing the building, Alastair Soane, director of Structural-Safety, part of Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE), said: 'We cannot overlook the fact that the structure is still standing and that is a good sign.

'The flames will have burned upwards, meaning the main supports which raise the pier from the beach may not have been too seriously damaged.

'On the other hand, the fire raged for several hours and so there will consequently be some damage, and there will be the cost of what it will take to rebuild it to take into consideration.'

Fire officials said a large section of the pier has been unaffected but substantial damage has been caused to a number of small buildings.

Fire chief Mr Prichard added: 'Pier fires are notoriously difficult to fight because there is one way on and one way off - and the tide can cause additional problems.

'The hard work of our firefighters has paid off in that we have been able to save a section of this iconic landmark, but I know for the people of Eastbourne this will still be devastating.' 

Damage: A charred mass of twisted metal is all that remains of parts of the pier, which was engulfed in flames after the fire broke out at about 3pm yesterday

Operations: Fire chiefs expect to further scale down their efforts on the Grade II-listed Victorian structure during the course of the morning

Charred remains: Fire officials said a large section of the pier has been unaffected but substantial damage has been caused to a number of small buildings

Investigation: The area remains taped off this morning as fire experts attempt to establish exactly what caused the blaze and whether the pier can be saved

Sussex Police have said the pier was quickly evacuated, no-one was trapped and the fire was not believed to be suspicious 'at this time'.

David Tutt, leader of Eastbourne Borough Council, said he understood that the fire had been started by an electrical fault. He said it appeared firefighters had managed to save two-thirds of the pier. 

'Our understanding is the fire appears to have started in wall panelling, which would lead you to believe it was electrical,' he said.

'Obviously when the fire investigators can complete their work we'll know for sure.

'We are offering whatever help we can to the owners if there are weddings booked and so on to find new locations so nobody is disappointed.' 

Fire Minister Penny Mordaunt said she planned to meet residents and community leaders in Eastbourne 'as a priority' following the blaze.

Tourists and locals thronged the beach and promenade to watch the pier gradually become engulfed in flames. Late last night, people massed on the beach to witness the scale of the damage which emerged after the smoke cleared. 

Blaze: At the height of yesterday afternoon's fire, 80 firefighters tackled the flames from the shore, the sea and from underneath the pier

Horror: Many local residents stayed at the scene all night until fire crews, who used lifeboats to tackle the blaze from the sea, had put out every last flame

Battle: Firefighters continued to tackle the blaze throughout the night, dousing the structure in a bid to stop the fire spreading further down the pier or reigniting

All that remained was a blackened metal shell on the worst-hit area of the pier. The sea-end section of the structure appeared to be unaffected by the blaze.

The RNLI said lifeboats from Eastbourne, Hastings and Newhaven were sent to the pier to help firefighters tackle the blaze. It was eventually brought under control shortly before 8pm, the fire service said.

Mr Prichard said: 'This has been an extremely challenging incident. Our firefighters have worked very hard in difficult conditions to stop the fire from spreading.

'Sadly one building on the pier is now a shell and other smaller buildings have been damaged but the remaining buildings on the pier are being protected.

'This couldn't have been achieved without the assistance of a number of other organisations, including the police, Coastguard and RNLI.' 

He added: 'This is obviously an upsetting incident for all those who love this landmark. We are thankful that there are no reported injuries and that firefighting operations continue, to try and ensure we save a large part of this iconic pie.' 

Shock: The fire took hold yesterday afternoon, when the nearby beach was packed with visitors and locals enjoying the sunshine

Blaze: More than 80 firefighters tackled the blaze yesterday, with firemen on high cranes, in boats at sea, on the pier itself and standing on the beach underneath

Shock: The fire has caused sadness around the town, with one onlooker saying: 'It's devastating that a huge piece of this town's history has literally gone up in smoke'

Wreckage: Firefighters had the blaze under control by yesterday afternoon but have since stayed at the scene to douse the so-called 'hotspots' in water and foam

Tourist Sam Taylor, 54, said: 'I just can't believe it. I've been coming here for years and to see it go up in smoke while I'm here is devastating.

'It's a beautiful pier. We had only been on it the other day to play on the amusements and take in the views.' 

In a fortnight, the resort hosts its biggest tourist event - the annual Airbourne air show on the seafront, which draws tens of thousands of visitors.

Debbie Leach, 46, watched from the beach as the flames engulfed the attraction, and said: 'I'm really sad, I could cry. It's devastating to see this happen, particularly so close to Airbourne. I just cannot believe it.'  

Eastbourne Pier has a large number of attractions, including an arcade, cafe bar, tea rooms and Atlantis nightclub.

Sussex has been cursed by the devastation of some of its beloved piers in recent times.

In 2003, the 148-year-old West Pier in Brighton was reduced to a mangled mass of metal by two major blazes within two months.

And in Eastbourne's neighbouring town of Hastings, the Grade II-listed pier there was almost destroyed in a fire in 2010 following years of neglect by its then-Panama-registered owner.

Efforts are now well under way to restoring Hastings Pier after more than £13 million was secured mainly though the Heritage Lottery Fund.

Elsewhere in the country, Southend Pier in Essex, the longest pleasure pier in the world at 7,080ft (2,156m), was badly damaged by a blaze in 2005. A previous fire damaged it in 1976.

And Grand Pier in Weston-super-Mare was badly damaged by a blaze in 2008.

History: Passengers landing on Eastbourne Pier after a boat cruise in 1936. The paddle steamers took passengers to destinations including Folkestone, Sandown, Brighton, Hastings and even as far afield as Boulogne in France

Steamers: An aerial view taken from a Zeppelin airship in 1931, showing one of the steam boats which used to run from a landing area at the far end of the pier

Resort: Holiday makers walk along the promenade near Eastbourne's famous bandstand (left), with the pier stretching out to sea in the background

Visitors: A photo of the town's seafront believed to have been taken shortly after the turn of the century, when visitors would flock to East Sussex from around Britain