Last traders leave troubled pier

Some traders had remained on the front of the pier since June

The whole of Hastings Pier in East Sussex now stands empty, after its few remaining traders shut up shop and quit as its future hangs in the balance.

Most of the Victorian structure was closed by Hastings Borough Council in June because of safety concerns.

The front part of the pier was allowed to remain open, but about half a dozen shops closed this week and locks were put on gates at the entrance.

Its owners had objected to a court ruling which kept most of it shut.

Hastings Magistrates' Court backed the council's original closure decision at a hearing in September, but Ravenclaw Investments said it would rather achieve a solution through "constructive communication".

The council said it was still waiting for Ravenclaw to carry out a survey on the structure.

We've got two young children and a mortgage and we're out of work Former trader Brian Watson

The remaining traders on the front of the pier closed down on Wednesday as the tourist season came to an end.

"I am disappointed for them but can understand their actions," said Ravenclaw spokesman Harmesh Pooni.

"They rely on the summer trade which sustains them for the whole year, and this was taken from them by the inappropriate and hasty action of Hastings Borough Council in June."

Council spokesman Kevin Boorman said: "As far as we're concerned the front of the pier could remain open."

A sign on the locked gates reads, "Hastings Pier left to rot by Hastings Borough Council", but one former trader blamed Ravenclaw for not carrying out necessary repairs over the past few years.

Brian Watson said: "We've got two young children and a mortgage and we're out of work, so it's very hard."

A public meeting has been arranged for 11 November at the White Rock Theatre in Hastings, where all the parties involved hope to make progress towards some form of resolution.