Hastings Pier has reopened to the public following renovation work costing £14.2 million after the structure was gutted by a fire.

The 144-year-old pier was closed for safety in reasons in 2008.

In October 2010 it was almost completely destroyed by a blaze, prompting a local action group to raise the funds to rebuild it along with a £11.4 million grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund.

Simon Opie, chief executive of the Hastings Pier Charity, said: "It feels bizarre to get to the point where we can open the gates to the public.

"It's a fantastic milestone in the project - it's the beginning of a new future for the pier and we hope there will be many more big days.

"It's great to get to this stage and recognise the amazing work which has been a massive team effort by hundreds of people."

He added: "The resolve has been to reverse the decline of the pier and in some ways what that represents is the regeneration of Hastings as a seaside town.

"Our concern was to build a real stable platform, a flexible asset that could be developed and used in a number of ways to support the economic regeneration of the town."

Building work on the original 910ft (277m) pier incorporating a 2,000-seat pavilion, designed by Eugenius Birch, began in December 1869 and it opened on the first ever August bank holiday in 1872 at a cost of £23,250.

It was previously destroyed by fire in 1917, was damaged by bombs in the Second World War, and has also suffered storm damage during its lifetime.