VISITORS are getting a sneak peak of how repair work of a fire-torn pier is progressing through a series of peep holes.

The burnt-out Blue Room on Eastbourne Pier can be seen through ten viewing panels – which are specially positioned low down so children and wheelchair users can access them – and five rectangular windows.

Charlotte Richards, of Cherry Garden Road, Eastbourne, took her two sons – Noah, five, and Caleb, two – to look through the new portholes.

She said: “They were really interested and were asking me lots of questions about the fire and the history of the pier.

“These portholes are a great way of getting children involved in what’s happening and it will allow them to see the progress over coming months.

“People of all ages enjoy visiting the pier so it’s nice that younger ones can feel part of the effort to rebuild it.”

Part of the pier re-opened last month, with a new walkway allowing visitors to bypass the front which was ravaged by fire, to access shops and restaurants at the rear.