A CRANE was used to start the demolition of the burnt out section of Eastbourne pier.

The dismantling of the hollow metal frame of the amusement arcade was due to start early this morning but was delayed by high winds.

But wind speeds at 14 knots, between 13 and 18mph, meant engineers could not go ahead with the work as planned.

Safety checks were made to the crane and its cradle – which would hang 80ft in the air above the pier – in the morning, but the work was delayed by six hours.

Work began at 3pm and will continue today. It is expected to take eight weeks for the entire shell to be removed with engineers working for ten days at a time with a break over Christmas.

A spokesman for pier owner Cuerden Leisure said: “We were set to start work on the dismantling of the arcade yesterday morning but unfortunately windy conditions meant it was not safe for this to go ahead straight away, due to health and safety reasons.

“We monitored the weather closely and as soon as the wind died down, we began cutting through the steel structure and taking it apart piece by piece.”

In September part of the pier re-opened and a new walkway allowed visitors to by-pass the damaged front to reach shops and restaurants at the end of the boardwalk. The pier is still open to visitors every evening.

Last month the pier was placed on English Heritage’s at risk register. The organisation is now providing advice to assist with the repairs.

The fire on July 30 destroyed the front third of the privately owned, Grade-II listed attraction. No-one was harmed in the fire, but on August 19 Stephen Penrice, 44, died after falling off the 144-year-old pier while working on repairs.

The blaze is still being treated as suspicious.

A petition was also drawn up to rename the arcade in memory of Mr Penrice. People are calling for Funtasia – which was in the building also known as the Blue Room - to be renamed the Penny Arcade or Penny’s Funland.

Mr Penrice was helping to restore the Grade II-listed structure when he fell from the main platform to the beach below and died of his injuries.

To sign the online petition, search Eastbourne Pier on Change.org