Eastbourne Pier: 'No definite answer' to cause of blaze

The cause of a huge blaze which destroyed a large part of Eastbourne Pier is not known, despite an "exhaustive investigation".

A third of the Victorian Grade II* listed structure in East Sussex was damaged by the fire on 30 July 2014.

Sussex Police said the consensus was the blaze started near an arcade machine on the pier but they had "no clear picture" of what caused it.

The pier was partially reopened to traders and the public last September.

Detectives trawled through more than 120 hours of CCTV footage that was recovered from fire-damaged hard drives by forensic experts during their investigation.

Officers considered several theories, including an electrical fault, discarded cigarette or arson, but the "intensity of the fire destroyed the scene and recoverable evidence".

East Sussex Fire and Rescue (ESFRS) discovered another fire started in public toilets near the amusement arcade but said it caused little damage.

Det Insp Mark O'Brien said the investigation was now closed but he remained "open minded" about the case .

"If there is anyone with further information I'd ask them to make contact with Sussex Police," he said.

"While it is disappointing to have no definite answer to what happened here last summer, it has been an exhaustive investigation," he added.

"All those who have been involved, including ESFRS, pier management and police officers, are acknowledged for their detailed and thorough work."