:00:07. > :00:21.This has been a disaster but it is not going to stop the town doing a
:00:22. > :00:24.really fantastic summer. Yesterday's fire, which is being
:00:25. > :00:27.treated as unexplained, quickly engulfed a large part of the
:00:28. > :00:38.pier, and brought many people out to One of the few things you come to
:00:39. > :00:40.see, it has gone now. They should start rebuilding it now.
:00:41. > :00:44.We'll be finding out what lessons can be learned
:00:45. > :00:47.from the experience of two other South East piers destroyed by fire.
:00:48. > :00:49.A crucial meeting for Manston's future?
:00:50. > :00:53.The council decides whether to press for a compulsory purchase.
:00:54. > :01:11.The private ambulance company still taking too long to pick up patients.
:01:12. > :01:13.Eastbourne's famous pier lies in partial ruins and, all day,
:01:14. > :01:27.investigators have been checking to see the extent of the damage.
:01:28. > :01:33.It was finally put out at lunch time, the fire. Fire investigators
:01:34. > :01:37.still do not know what the cause was. They have been assessing the
:01:38. > :01:41.damage throughout the day. Our reporter has been following events.
:01:42. > :01:44.For hours, flames and smoke engulfed Eastbourne Pier.
:01:45. > :01:47.This morning, this was what remained.
:01:48. > :01:50.The skeletal structure proving a tourist attraction
:01:51. > :01:57.in itself, as fire crews continued to dampen down hotspots.
:01:58. > :02:01.Today, one of those working on the pier who had to be evacuated,
:02:02. > :02:07.20 minutes to half an hour, the flames started coming out.
:02:08. > :02:22.It wasn't as bad as I thought but I could smell wood burning we passed.
:02:23. > :02:25.Within an hour, the whole of it went.
:02:26. > :02:27.The cause of the fire is currently unexplained but tonight
:02:28. > :02:30.the police and Fire Service have said they are not ruling out arson.
:02:31. > :02:33.We were lucky with the wind yesterday.
:02:34. > :02:42.We haven't been as lucky with the wind on other fires on piers.
:02:43. > :02:45.Had the wind been blowing from the north to the south, we could
:02:46. > :02:49.have seen a very rapid fire spread along it and we could've lost it.
:02:50. > :02:51.Looking back from the sea, we took a structural engineer to
:02:52. > :02:55.He has helped restore similar piers destroyed by fire in the past.
:02:56. > :02:58.How does this compare to the damage done the Hastings Pier?
:02:59. > :03:03.It is only 25% of the whole of the pier.
:03:04. > :03:05.Most importantly, the Fire Brigade did a great job in
:03:06. > :03:09.containing it, and it is right by the land so it is very accessible.
:03:10. > :03:13.At low tide, it is high tide now, you can get under the pier with men
:03:14. > :03:16.and machines to restore it without using expensive marine plant.
:03:17. > :03:19.A third of the pier has been completely destroyed.
:03:20. > :03:23.Fire crews are still at the scene trying to secure it and their
:03:24. > :03:33.The local MP said he would like to see it reopened by next year.
:03:34. > :03:36.I am bringing everyone together because I want to get moving
:03:37. > :03:39.We will start putting together a schedule
:03:40. > :03:43.of repairs with the owners, pushing on that so there is no danger in a
:03:44. > :03:49.I want the whole town to do what it does best which is to pull together
:03:50. > :03:56.over this dreadful episode, and remind everyone at the
:03:57. > :04:01.business. A benevolent fund has been set up to help those who were
:04:02. > :04:08.But, as the clear`up gets under way, the question for most is how soon
:04:09. > :04:16.can this iconic structure be restored to its former glory?
:04:17. > :04:21.This isn't quite the image of Eastbourne people in the town were
:04:22. > :04:38.hoping to project at the height of the tourist season. This is an
:04:39. > :04:43.iconic image of Eastbourne, it must be devastating.
:04:44. > :04:47.It is such an important, cultural, heritage and tourist attraction. The
:04:48. > :04:53.first time I have seen it close, it is so sad. Unfortunately, we are
:04:54. > :05:00.used to seeing this image in Hastings and in Brighton.
:05:01. > :05:04.The gallery enjoys the benefits tourism brings with it. Will it have
:05:05. > :05:08.an impact? Not a big impact, because there are
:05:09. > :05:12.so many cultural attractions, heritage attractions in Eastbourne.
:05:13. > :05:18.We work closely with all of our cultural past `` partners and the
:05:19. > :05:24.council, to make sure there is a strong offer in the town. Eastbourne
:05:25. > :05:29.is open for business, as the leader of the council said earlier. What is
:05:30. > :05:35.interesting, we have over 22 paintings in our collection of
:05:36. > :05:39.Eastbourne Pier, and a wonderful photograph taken by Simon Roberts
:05:40. > :05:46.who did a project photographing the 58 remaining in the country. It
:05:47. > :05:50.feels ironic now, these wonderful postcards the people to share their
:05:51. > :05:55.images about Eastbourne Pier. A lot of people have been coming in,
:05:56. > :06:00.looking at the photograph, wanting to share their memories. It is
:06:01. > :06:07.important for tourism. But important for our local community. A source of
:06:08. > :06:12.nostalgia and collective memory. It was the last thing be expected, the
:06:13. > :06:17.tourists, the locals on the beach yesterday, enjoying the sunshine.
:06:18. > :06:21.Suddenly, this is Gaelic seaside scene, engulfed in flames. Many of
:06:22. > :06:26.them were shocked and stunned. Many have come down today to have another
:06:27. > :06:31.look. It is just about sinking in but they did not expect to see it.
:06:32. > :06:33.Some were talking about how they never expected to be swept up by the
:06:34. > :06:35.events. We have come down now
:06:36. > :06:40.and we think it will be saved. It is an important part,
:06:41. > :06:45.it matters to people. What do you make of the pier
:06:46. > :07:01.and what has happened? I feel sorry for the other
:07:02. > :07:07.shops that have lost business. There are
:07:08. > :07:11.a few things you come to see. I started crying, basically,
:07:12. > :07:18.to see it. There are people
:07:19. > :07:30.in Eastbourne who have found This is the hotel and the guests
:07:31. > :07:34.watched the flames take hold. The manager has only been
:07:35. > :07:47.in the job for a month and ended up emergency services. We had all the
:07:48. > :07:51.staff, 200 rounds of sandwiches, hundreds of cups of tea, for the
:07:52. > :07:58.emergency services. They did, guests helping with
:07:59. > :08:13.sandwiches and clearing up. A lot
:08:14. > :08:24.of the guests did not expect this A lot of people have been saying
:08:25. > :08:28.they are prepared to do what they can to get it back up and running.
:08:29. > :08:35.One man who will be closely involved in the plan to restore it is the
:08:36. > :08:41.leader of the council. What is the plan now?
:08:42. > :08:47.We met as a business community this morning. We have looked at
:08:48. > :08:52.short`term, it is about the people, those who have events booked here,
:08:53. > :08:56.have alternatives so they are not disappointed. Making sure those who
:08:57. > :09:02.have concessions continue to trade, making offers to them.
:09:03. > :09:10.They have lost age meant as amount. They have not got insurance, it is a
:09:11. > :09:14.personal loss to them. The event on the 14th of August, we will offer
:09:15. > :09:23.them free stands so they have somewhere to trade. At Eastbourne
:09:24. > :09:28.market as well. To offer implement to those individuals. What about the
:09:29. > :09:36.pier itself, where will the money come? It is insured, which is good
:09:37. > :09:40.news. We had a meeting with the owners. We will maintain close
:09:41. > :09:46.contact with them. They are waiting to find out the results of a
:09:47. > :09:50.structural survey once the Fire investigators are away. Then we
:09:51. > :09:55.clear up and look at how we can get back to business as usual.
:09:56. > :10:00.One of the things that makes this all the more poignant for people is
:10:01. > :10:02.the rich history of the pier which is what we will touch on data in the
:10:03. > :10:09.programme. `` later. The future
:10:10. > :10:14.of Manston Airport could depend on the outcome of a meeting of Thanet
:10:15. > :10:17.Council tonight, as they consider the possibility of a compulsory
:10:18. > :10:19.purchase of the 750`acre site. A detailed report suggests it would
:10:20. > :10:22.take a minimum investment of ?100 million to make it
:10:23. > :10:25.successful, but it also highlights how Southend Airport in Essex has
:10:26. > :10:27.managed to reinvent itself. In a moment,
:10:28. > :10:29.we will talk to our correspondent But first, Louise Stewart has sent
:10:30. > :10:33.this report from Southend Airport. Passengers taking off on holiday
:10:34. > :10:38.from Southend Airport today. This summer has seen business
:10:39. > :10:41.here reach new heights. Since being taken over in 2008,
:10:42. > :10:45.the airport has had a ?120 million revamp including to
:10:46. > :10:54.transport and infrastructure. 25% of our passengers use either
:10:55. > :10:58.the roads or public transport, the railway station, straight
:10:59. > :11:03.into Stratford and up from there. That is appealing to passengers
:11:04. > :11:06.and that will increase in volume. Thanks to the investment
:11:07. > :11:08.and infrastructure, this airport In the summer of 2011,
:11:09. > :11:14.there was only one commercial flight Now, there are four different
:11:15. > :11:19.airlines flying from here to It is this success
:11:20. > :11:27.which gives hope to campaigners who believe Manston in Kent could still
:11:28. > :11:37.have a commercial future. A report for Thanet District
:11:38. > :11:39.Council said the most significant development to Southend
:11:40. > :11:42.was a new station within walking There could be
:11:43. > :11:49.a million passengers going into Manston within a couple of years
:11:50. > :11:52.soon as that is completed. For passengers at Southend,
:11:53. > :11:54.good transport links are It is brilliant, the timing
:11:55. > :12:03.of the trains, every 15 minutes. Convenience
:12:04. > :12:14.doesn't come cheap. The report found Manston needs
:12:15. > :12:21.hundreds of millions of pounds of investment if it were to be able
:12:22. > :12:24.to replicate Southend's success. I'm joined now by our correspondent,
:12:25. > :12:26.Mark Norman, in Margate. Mark,
:12:27. > :12:28.we just saw in Louise's report how successful Southend Airport has been
:12:29. > :12:43.after big infrastructure projects. They found someone to spend all that
:12:44. > :12:49.money. Everyone thought the owner would be the same person to do it
:12:50. > :12:53.for Manston. They need to find someone who will spend millions. But
:12:54. > :13:00.you need to find someone who will bear `` by the airport. Campaigners
:13:01. > :13:05.say the council should do that with a compulsory purchase order, that is
:13:06. > :13:08.up for discussion. Campaigners are worried it will get dried out.
:13:09. > :13:11.A man has been sent to prison for the third time
:13:12. > :13:14.in barely a month for persistently harassing a member of the public.
:13:15. > :13:18.Kahal Sene, who's from Brighton, was first sent to prison last month.
:13:19. > :13:21.On release, he then broke a Domestic Violence Prevention Order aimed
:13:22. > :13:24.at stopping him from contacting his victim, so was sent to prison again.
:13:25. > :13:32.Today, he was imprisoned for a third time after breaking that order, too.
:13:33. > :13:35.A waste site in North Kent, which has been the subject
:13:36. > :13:38.of a legal battle, is to be fenced in by the Environment Agency.
:13:39. > :13:41.Waste4Fuel owns the site, but none of their workers has been
:13:42. > :13:45.The agency says that the fencing will secure the area
:13:46. > :13:54.and reduce the chances of anti`social behaviour and arson.
:13:55. > :14:00.Children as young as 11 are being investigated for sending indecent
:14:01. > :14:05.images to each other by text message. Kent Police say they have
:14:06. > :14:07.investigated 40 similar cases and are warning teenagers will not be
:14:08. > :14:14.immune from prosecution. One of the South East's largest
:14:15. > :14:18.private ambulance providers, NSL, is still taking too long to pick up
:14:19. > :14:21.some patients, after the latest inspection by health care regulator,
:14:22. > :14:22.the Care Quality Commission. It found that the service failed to
:14:23. > :14:25.show improvements in a number Dorothy Marsh has been home
:14:26. > :14:31.for two weeks, She had been in hospital
:14:32. > :14:38.for a month after falling in her flat, and was relieved when
:14:39. > :14:41.she could told she could leave. Then she said, I'm sorry,
:14:42. > :14:47.we are short`staffed, Finally, after waiting two and a
:14:48. > :14:59.half days, Dorothy was brought home. Except she was taken to
:15:00. > :15:01.the wrong address. One of the nurses said it was better
:15:02. > :15:18.when they had ambulances, they would ring up for someone to go
:15:19. > :15:21.home, they came to take them home. The results of the
:15:22. > :15:26.Care Quality Commission latest reports in March have revealed
:15:27. > :15:28.there are still problems. Changes have been made
:15:29. > :15:32.and they are continuing apace. We are working closely with
:15:33. > :15:33.the commissioners. The service is a long way
:15:34. > :15:39.from where it was last year. The accountable officer for
:15:40. > :15:43.NHS West Kent CCG admitted that their advert for the tender had
:15:44. > :15:45.been based on incorrect patient transport numbers, something they
:15:46. > :15:48.rectified six months later. They say they are continuing to
:15:49. > :15:54.work with NSL Kent to improve. It is disappointing, coming
:15:55. > :15:59.in the wake of other CQC reports. I sense some frustration
:16:00. > :16:01.the previous recommendations have It is not
:16:02. > :16:08.the ambulance drivers' fault. The family say she had better not
:16:09. > :16:17.need the hospital again Work to assess the extent of the
:16:18. > :16:36.damage to Eastbourne Pier, and causes the fire that badly damaged
:16:37. > :16:39.a third of it, has begun today. It's thought that an electrical
:16:40. > :16:42.fault may be to blame. The couple who've recorded every
:16:43. > :16:51.year of their relationship, Some unsettled weather is making its
:16:52. > :16:53.way to us at the weekend is not a complete wash`out. The forecast is
:16:54. > :17:02.at the end of the programme. A couple from East Sussex have used
:17:03. > :17:06.photobooth pictures to document every year of their relationship,
:17:07. > :17:11.spanning 14 years and two children. Giles Paley`Phillips
:17:12. > :17:13.and his wife Michelle first snapped themselves a month
:17:14. > :17:31.into their courtship, and then It is an annual event that started
:17:32. > :17:39.14 years ago but, for Michelle and Giles, the trip to the photobooth
:17:40. > :17:44.has become a family event, providing a snapshot of their life together.
:17:45. > :17:49.Right, stand up. We were in Brighton Station, on a
:17:50. > :17:54.day out. I saw the photobooth. I just turned to Michelle and said,
:17:55. > :17:59.shall we have our photo taken? We have not been seeing each other for
:18:00. > :18:05.that long. Just to see if she was up for it. She was. A year later, we
:18:06. > :18:09.were in a similar place, Brighton again, and we decided to do another
:18:10. > :18:20.one. It carried on from there. Here we go. Yes! This is your last try.
:18:21. > :18:25.We will take that one. We will take that one. Michelle and
:18:26. > :18:29.has a collection, charting their changing hairstyles, more
:18:30. > :18:33.importantly, the changes in their relationship from going out, to
:18:34. > :18:38.married life, having children. The third one, we were married, it
:18:39. > :18:42.seemed a nice way of carrying it on and documenting our life as it was
:18:43. > :18:48.continuing together. And the kids? The kids, the first
:18:49. > :18:56.one, there is one with me in a green coat. It was our first night out
:18:57. > :19:00.without him. Six months later. It was very exciting for us to be out
:19:01. > :19:08.on our own for the first time. After that, we thought it would be nice to
:19:09. > :19:13.have them in with us. We have our photobooth anniversary.
:19:14. > :19:18.Michelle and Giles say they will continue with their tradition every
:19:19. > :19:27.year but fear that photobooth might be phased out in the digital age.
:19:28. > :19:32.Our main story, many of you have been posting photos and comments on
:19:33. > :19:35.Facebook about Eastbourne Pier. Hugh Wilton, taken last night,
:19:36. > :19:38.as the fire crews were still It?s "a sad day for Eastbourne
:19:39. > :19:41.and its pier". It really shows how huge
:19:42. > :19:46.the fire was at its height. I spent several holidays
:19:47. > :19:50.in Eastbourne, and love Kim Sweet took this panoramic shot
:19:51. > :19:55.from the beach, showing Eastbourne Pier ablaze,
:19:56. > :19:58.with hundreds of onlookers. It really captures how
:19:59. > :20:06.the building has been reduced to "Let's hope a quick decision is made
:20:07. > :20:14.to rebuild this wonderful asset to Let's cross back to Polly
:20:15. > :20:17.in Eastbourne. Clearly a huge well of affection
:20:18. > :20:32.for the pier in the town. That is correct. It is just about
:20:33. > :20:39.sinking in that the pier has been so badly damaged by the fire. People
:20:40. > :20:44.coming back in disbelief to take pictures to remind themselves it has
:20:45. > :20:47.happened. There were people here yesterday who could not believe what
:20:48. > :20:50.they were seeing. Amongst them, Elaine and Gareth, here on
:20:51. > :20:57.honeymoon. What were you thinking as you saw it in flames?
:20:58. > :21:04.It was a shock, surreal comic is it happening? We saw the smoke from the
:21:05. > :21:09.town centre. Someone said the pier was on fire. What was yesterday
:21:10. > :21:15.evening like for you, Gareth? It was very surreal, you could not
:21:16. > :21:21.believe it was actually happening. It has only been sinking in today,
:21:22. > :21:29.to see the extent. You will certainly remember your honeymoon.
:21:30. > :21:42.This is one of three that were designed by the Victorian designer,
:21:43. > :21:50.and two piers have already been ravaged by fire. That has
:21:51. > :21:53.In 2003, Brighton's West Pier burned down and to this day remains
:21:54. > :21:57.Then, in 2010, an arson attack following years of neglect led
:21:58. > :22:00.to almost all of Hastings Pier to be destroyed by fire.
:22:01. > :22:02.But unlike Brighton, it's now undergoing
:22:03. > :22:19.fallen `` so, can Eastbourne learn lessons from this? Storm damage and
:22:20. > :22:24.fire were the main threats. In 2010, Hastings Pier, built in 1872, was
:22:25. > :22:29.engulfed in flames. Some feared it spelt the end of a pier that had
:22:30. > :22:34.suffered neglect. After a long campaign, a restoration plan was
:22:35. > :22:39.born. The majority of the structure here,
:22:40. > :22:45.we are fortunate, the columns which date back to Victorian times, are in
:22:46. > :22:52.sound condition. But, above that, you can see the galvanised pieces,
:22:53. > :22:53.we have had to replace a lot of trusts work and bracing and
:22:54. > :22:59.steelworks. Work is in full swing. It is the
:23:00. > :23:05.local public passion that has helped the Hastings get off the ground and
:23:06. > :23:08.may be the key to Eastbourne Pier being restored. People have a great
:23:09. > :23:13.fondness for them related to heritage personal memories.
:23:14. > :23:19.The target is for the work to be finished in a year, for a grand
:23:20. > :23:26.summer opening in 2015. In contrast, here in Eastbourne, the
:23:27. > :23:31.lights are likely to be out for some time. Restorations like this are
:23:32. > :23:36.complex physically and financially. In its favour, it is historically
:23:37. > :23:46.important, opened in 1870, the finest remaining pier.
:23:47. > :23:52.The pier has suffered many disasters. A big one in 1872 when
:23:53. > :23:58.the shore and was washed away. A fire in 1870. This is a continuing
:23:59. > :24:04.involvement. Our love of these structures is not
:24:05. > :24:09.enough to save them. The one in Brighton is slowly being claimed by
:24:10. > :24:11.the sea. People will hope it will be more than starlings visiting
:24:12. > :24:20.Eastbourne Pier in the years to come.
:24:21. > :24:23.I'm joined now by veteran broadcaster Michael Fish, who spends
:24:24. > :24:42.How much does this mean to the town? Five generations of my family have
:24:43. > :24:46.lived in Eastbourne, it was the best pier in the world and it will be
:24:47. > :24:52.once again. I have many fond memories. The theatre is the only
:24:53. > :24:56.one way you can sit in your seat and have the seas sloshing around your
:24:57. > :25:06.feet. My grand daughter is three and is never started `` devastated.
:25:07. > :25:14.One little girl said, her father is a fire fighter, she said she was
:25:15. > :25:23.glad he could save it. We are all devastated, of course. It
:25:24. > :25:26.had a soft play area, a carousel for the young kids.
:25:27. > :25:28.I feel like I should be asking you to do the weather forecast. Instead,
:25:29. > :25:42.we will go to Georgina. It would have been a lovely
:25:43. > :25:46.summer's date under normal circumstances in Eastbourne. If we
:25:47. > :25:53.look at the picture earlier, for most of our region, lovely sunshine
:25:54. > :25:58.around, not much cloud. Temperatures up to 24 Celsius. A little cooler
:25:59. > :26:06.along the coast. A bit breezy as well. This evening, a largely dry
:26:07. > :26:18.and warm night, some showers to the north. A couple major cull in but
:26:19. > :26:24.most of us will escape. Temperatures up to 17 degrees. Tomorrow is a day
:26:25. > :26:29.of sunshine and showers but those showers will be isolated. Many of us
:26:30. > :26:32.will escape them altogether. Temperatures up to 23 Celsius but
:26:33. > :26:36.along the south coast making it fairly to 20. Tomorrow night, we are
:26:37. > :26:41.more likely to see heavy showers. Another warm night, similar
:26:42. > :26:47.temperatures. Some showers will be pretty heavy. Saturday, that is
:26:48. > :26:51.looking a wet day. Lots of those showers coming up from the
:26:52. > :26:56.continent. Quite thundery, some lightning in there as well. You may
:26:57. > :27:02.be able to escape them in between. Certainly, drying up at the time you
:27:03. > :27:10.get to Sunday. Sunday is looking a much better day of the weekend. Much
:27:11. > :27:15.drier, brighter, temperatures still in the low 20s, not as warm as it
:27:16. > :27:22.has been. The weekend isn't a washed out. There's temperatures rise on
:27:23. > :27:26.Monday. No one could have expected the drama
:27:27. > :27:33.of the last few days, certainly not the holiday`makers. But Eastbourne
:27:34. > :27:39.Pier has survived in the past, survived an order to have it
:27:40. > :27:40.destroyed, so there is every sense of optimism she can be resurrected
:27:41. > :28:26.again. MUSIC: "All About You"
:28:27. > :28:28.by McFly