Littlehampton Harvester: Major fire destroys restaurant

The ‘significant fire’ is believed to have started in the kitchen, according to West Sussex Fire and Rescue Service (WSFRS).

The fire service was scrambled to the scene yesterday morning after being notified of the blaze at 8.51am.

Despite heroic efforts from fire crews, the blaze spread to the roof and has left most of the building destroyed.

At 11.16am, the fire service confirmed that their presence had been increased to continue tackling the blaze. Crews across the county were in attendance, with 12 fire engines, two aerial ladder platforms and two water carriers, and remained on site until 11.06pm last night.

One crew from Littlehampton returned to the restaurant this morning to carry out a reinspection and currently remain on the scene checking for hot spots.

Thankfully, there were no injuries as a result of the fire, and all people had been evacuated from the building before crews arrived.

In a video update on WSFRS’s Facebook page, area manager Gary Ball said: "We have a number of resources here from many emergency services, all working hard to try and put the fire out.

“Our priority at the moment, of course, is to protect surrounding buildings.”

See shocking photos of the fire here.

The neighbouring Windmill Cinema got away unscathed, apart from water damage in the foyer and kiosk. It will require an assessment on the building’s condition before reopening next week.

In a statement on Facebook, manager Kevin Orman said: “As a precaution, advance ticket sales are temporarily suspended, however we are hopeful that screenings will be able to restart on Monday (August 14).”

Harbour Park was also forced to close yesterday but reopened most of its rides the same day.