A ONE and a half tonne bay window collapsed from the front of a hostel.

The Kings Arms Hostel and Bar in George Street, Brighton, was undergoing building work when the entire left bay window, on the top floor of the building, fell at 11am yesterday.

It is thought builders were replacing a window when the concrete behind it came away.

Fortunately the building is currently covered in scaffolding which prevented it falling to the pavement below.

John Bellingham runs MBI Sound and Light in nearby Edward Street, Brighton.

He said: “I was talking to one of the builders earlier. It could have been fractured years ago behind the scenes, and all that was holding it in there was the frame of the old wooden window.

“It looks like they had been replacing the window with a new one, but that caused the whole thing to go.”

George Street is a busy side street that runs between Edward Street and St James’s Street.

Nobody was hurt in the incident.

Businesses in the area were closed while the area was cordoned off, with many people unable to complete their daily errands.

Teresa Pope, from Whitehawk, said: “You don’t expect this to happen at all.

“Someone said the building inside had collapsed, and you just don’t know what’s happening.

“These are all old buildings – the ceiling fell through in the kitchen of the pub 30 years ago so maybe it has structural problems.”

The Kings Arms operated as a pub until this year, when it converted to a hostel.

One of its rooms accommodates 18 guests, while others can sleep 12, nine or seven.

It is not clear how many were staying in the hostel at the time.

Mr Bellingham added: “I spoke to one of the builders, who said how much it weighed.

“It’s fallen on top of the scaffolding – it’s so lucky the scaffolding has held it.

“If a bolt were to go, the whole thing could cascade down – especially with the weight up there.”

Three fire engines, the fire technical rescue unit and a structural engineer were all called to the scene.

They checked the building’s external and internal framework with the road closed for the remainder of the day.