A CAFE owner thanked fire-fighters by giving them a free breakfast at the end of their shift.

Harry Dyer invited the crew that battled the fire at Hove Town Hall on Monday to his V & H Cafe nearby for bacon rolls, tea and coffee. Mr Dyer said nine members of the crew took up his offer yesterday morning.

He said: “I was expecting a few more so they all got double. These guys do a great job and they don’t get a round of applause at the end. They are genuinely under-appreciated and they had just finished a long night shift.”

The crew tackled the fire that broke out in a solar panel on the roof of the Hove Town Hall just before 1pm on Monday.

It is now believed birds may have damaged the panels leading to the electrical fault that sparked the blaze – which led to hundreds of staff being evacuated.

Tom Scanlon, Brighton and Hove director of public health, said at the time: “The panels were checked and washed two weeks ago and everything seemed to be in order. It may have been bird damage but no firm cause has been established at this stage.”