By By Kev Hedges Oct 5, 2010 in Crime Hastings - Arsonists are believed to have destroyed the landmark pier at Hastings on the south coast of England. Fire services say 95 per cent of the pier has been damaged and the final 200 feet are still ablaze this morning. Sussex police chief Inspector Lee Lyons told the It has effectively destroyed the last couple of hundred feet of the pier. It is a significant fire. We came across it while out on patrol. There was a big plume of smoke and the last 200ft (61m) of the pier is pretty much ablaze and it's spreading quite quickly towards the beach. The entire ballroom at the end is a burning framework with bits dropping off into the sea. We came across it much at the same time as it was being phoned through to the fire service. It was very small at that stage, but it took hardly any time to engulf the pier. The fire service have reported that the blaze is under control and nobody is in danger as the pier stretches out to sea. Access to the pier was closed off back in July 2006 after Hastings Borough council deemed the structure unsafe. The historic pier was opened in 1872 and it has burned down before in 1917, but was rebuilt and during its halcyon days in the early 1970s it played host to a number of legendary rock bands such as The Rolling Stones, The Who, Jimi Hendrix, Genesis, Tom Jones and Pink Floyd as documented in its A Facebook Police say the blaze started shortly after 0100 (BST) and the Victorian ballroom situated at the end of the pier is said to be a "smouldering framework". Ten fire engines are at the scene fighting the inferno and police have arrested two people in connection with the arson attack.Sussex police chief Inspector Lee Lyons told the BBC The fire service have reported that the blaze is under control and nobody is in danger as the pier stretches out to sea. Access to the pier was closed off back in July 2006 after Hastings Borough council deemed the structure unsafe.The historic pier was opened in 1872 and it has burned down before in 1917, but was rebuilt and during its halcyon days in the early 1970s it played host to a number of legendary rock bands such as The Rolling Stones, The Who, Jimi Hendrix, Genesis, Tom Jones and Pink Floyd as documented in its Wikipedia entry.A Facebook group , Save Hastings Pier, had already been set up to save the pier to gain support for people who "don't want to see yet another pier and a part of our heritage fall into the sea." It has over 1,700 members. More about Hastings pier fire, Pier ablaze hastings, Major fire seaside pier More news from hastings pier fire pier ablaze hastings major fire seaside p...