Council agrees to buy Hastings Pier in East Sussex

The pier has been closed since 2006 because of fears it was unsafe

Hastings council has agreed buy the town's pier and hand it over to a trust to carry out essential repairs.

Campaigners have been fighting to secure the pier's future since it shut in 2006 amid fears it could collapse.

The council agreed to issue a compulsory purchase order against the pier's offshore owners after a study showed it could be made safe for £3m.

It will then hand it over to Hastings Pier and White Rock Trust (HPWRT) to carry out the work.

The pier is owned by Panamanian-registered company Ravenclaw, which the council has been unable to contact to discuss its future.