The owner of Hastings Pier has withdrawn its security staff after being forced by the High Court to keep the attraction open.

Ravenclaw Investments planned to close the pier on Sunday after failing to reach an agreement with Hastings Borough Council about fixing the decaying structure.

Most of the pier has been closed for a month after a council inspection found it was in danger of collapsing and Ravenclaw said it could not afford to keep the front apron open because it had lost 70 per cent of its income.

Traders on the pier won an emergency High Court injunction on Friday preventing closure of the whole pier.

They said it breached their lease contracts and threatened their livelihoods. Ravenclaw responded by removing security staff immediately on Friday afternoon.

The council stepped in to provide security on the gates until permanent arrangements could be made.

Council leader Peter Pragnell said: "We were very surprised indeed when Ravenclaw withdrew their security staff from the pier without warning. To take such action at no notice potentially put the pier and its traders at risk.

"While it is not the councils responsibility to provide security for a privately-owned building, we felt that the traders could not be expected to sort this out immediately, particularly late on a Friday afternoon.

"Hastings Borough Council has therefore arranged security for another week. This has given the pier owners and traders breathing space to sort out future arrangements."

Harmesh Pooni, who runs the pier on behalf of Ravenclaw, said: "The simple economics are this company faces going into liquidation if the pier stays open because the income has been cut off.

"We made a very good offer to the council to keep the pier open which was thrown back."

Ravenclaw said it would fix rotting steelwork in three weeks at a cost of £1 million. It asked the council for a £100,000 contribution but it said it could not hand over public money until Ravenclaw carried out a full structural survey, which the company is refusing.

A further High Court hearing is expected on Friday.