The Claremont Hotel in Eastbourne has been ravaged by a fire, leading to part of the Victorian seafront hotel collapsing.

Located in Sussex, the building is Grade II listed and was engulfed in flames when a fire broke out whilst guests were eating breakfast. Part of the rear wall of the hotel has also collapsed after reports that a chimney “appeared to be moving”. A spokesman for the Wealden District Council said: “The wind direction changed which led to the rear wall of the hotel structure collapsing internally on the existing debris.”

The building is still unstable and two fire crews, as well as building control, are currently monitoring the situation – however nobody was hurt as a result of the fire or the infrastructure collapsing. Once the building is deemed safe, further investigations will take place.

The owners of the hotel, Daish’s Holidays, said “significant damage” had been done which they described as “devastating”. According to the owners, there was 130 guests and staff members present when the fire began, and around 60 firefighters and 12 fire engines were on the scene at the height of the fire. Nobody was seriously harmed as a result of the fire or infrastructure collapse, however the ambulance service revealed that six people were treated for minor injuries and one person was sent to hospital with breathing difficulties.