Campaigners sign up pier support

Supporters gather round the Friends of Hastings Pier stall

Campaigners are using the first Easter break since the closure of Hastings Pier to urge people to sign up to a pressure group to save the structure.

The Friends of Hastings Pier are manning stalls in the town to recruit members to support their cause.

The Victorian pier was shut down last June by Hastings Borough Council because of fears for its safety.

Owner Ravenclaw Investments said tests were carried out on the pier last week and a written report would be out soon.

Charitable trust

The council and Ravenclaw have been locked in legal wrangling over the pier since its closure.

Several options are being considered for its future, including the setting up of a charitable trust to run it.

"This group is the embryo of the charitable trust that would own and manage the pier," said Friends spokesman Felix Robinson.

Hastings MP Michael Foster was on hand on Friday to support the group.

"We do want to see an historic Victoriana pier but that may not be in its present form," he said.

"There may be all sorts of ideas coming forward as to how we might develop the structure."

The council said in a statement it was not able to comment because of ongoing legal issues.