PLANS to knock down part of a fire damaged hotel have been delayed while further structural assessments are made.

The Grade II* listed Claremont hotel on Eastbourne seafront was engulfed in flames on Friday November 20.

At the height of the blaze, 12 fire engines from two counties were at the Victorian building on the coast.

Fire fighters tackled the blaze for four days, but part of the wrecked hotel collapsed a week later.

More of the building was due to be demolished to make it safe.

However after a meeting of police, firefighters, council and building control officials, further assessments of the structural integrity of the building are needed before it can be safely demolished.

In a statement Eastbourne Borough Council said: “The owners of the Claremont Hotel, Daish’s Holidays, has been advised to seek further specialist engineering advice on the Grade II* listed building prior to any decision on demolition being taken.

“The council is working closely with the owners of the hotel and is very appreciative of the professionalism and diligence of the Daish’s Holidays team at this difficult time.

“A street cleansing team from Environment First, the council’s in-house waste and recycling operation, is cleaning areas outside of the safety cordon, including the frontage of private properties in the area.

“The owners of the hotel are also in the process of contacting specialist clearance firms about the area within the cordon, in front of the hotel.

“Finally, it is important to say that despite the deeply regrettable and sad events of last Friday, Eastbourne remains open for business and while a very small area of the seafront is temporarily inaccessible, the rest of the town remains as vibrant and popular and welcoming as ever.”

The Claremont hotel site in Eastbourne has been handed back to building control and the hotel’s security firm.

A chimney stack and part of the rear wall of the hotel collapsed on Friday.

Fire investigators had been on the scene earlier in the day to try to establish the cause of the blaze.

Water was being used to damp down the entrance and investigators thought one of the chimney stacks looked unstable in the wind.

Just two hours later it collapsed.

Flames spread from the basement of the Claremont and could be seen coming out of windows and the roof.