Nightclub bosses say they have lost out on business after thousands of tons of wood from the sunken cargo vessel, the Ice Prince, washed up on Worthing beach.

The Pier nightclub, on Worthing Pier, was forced to close for one night by council bosses following the appearance of the timber earlier this month.

Beaches either side of the town's pier were also closed to the public and work is still on-going to clear the debris.

The wood, which came from the Greek registered Ice Prince cargo vessel, which sank off the coast of Devon on January 15, has been washed up on beaches across Sussex but in particularly large amounts in the Worthing area.

Graham Roy, co-owner of the nightclub said he entirely understood the move to close the pier, but is one of a number of businessmen in the town who remain concerned that some customers are staying away because of the wood.

He said: "It was only closed for one night as a precaution after they carried out a check on the pier.

"We reckon a lot of people still think the area is closed off because of the wood, but that's obviously not the case.

"We were back open the day after the closure.

"I've got nothing but praise for the contractors who are clearing the wood.

"They've done a very good and quick job in the circumstances.

"They are doing a fantastic job in fact."

The Pier has still enjoyed a bumper January after reopening in late December, following a major refurbishment, Mr Roy said.

But other firms have told The Argus they remained worried about the number of visitors travelling to Worthing's seafront.

After experience an initial boom in people travelling from all over the South East to the town to see the wood, some firms believe numbers could now drop off as the removal work continues.

A cafe owner told The Argus: "I agree that the longer (the work) goes on the more people may think the beach is closed permanently.

"We're in a situation where we have to really get the message out there that Worthing is open for business and whether the wood is there or not, will continue to be.

"We can't complain because people did flock here to start with. But I hope we don't see business drop away too much.

"I could see it happening if the beach closure continue into the Spring when the numbers really start to shoot up."

Contractors have worked around the clock to pile the timber up on the shingle and, as The Argus revealed earlier this week, councils across the county are now in discussion with insurers about what will happen to it.

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