A barge which once housed a Chinese restaurant is being given away free.

The boat, formerly home to The Pagoda, has been up for sale since November and is set to leave Brighton Marina.

Now, after a vain attempt to sell it, the boat is being given away free.

Tim Kingston, of Boatshed Brighton Yacht Brokers, said: “We need to give her away because she needs a bit of work, she is almost 100 years old but there’s plenty of life in her yet.

“So many people have voiced their interest, some want to use her as a business but others want it for offices.

“I’m 100 per cent sure we will find a new owner for her who will re-appropriate her. She has been a part of the local landscape for a long time.”

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The barge, which currently sits in Brighton Marina, has now been viewed by potential buyers and the best offers are being presented to the owners.

They will then choose who takes on the barge, which will then have to be moved from the marina because of development work.

Mr Kingston said that while many people wanted to use it as a house boat or offices, other offers were more unusual, including one to use it for a sewing business.

The boat will be moved from the area, with current possible locations including on the River Thames and in Norfolk.

The barge, originally named the Selby Virgo, was first used to transport grain in the North of England before being re-homed and re-purposed in Brighton Marina.

It was converted into a Chinese restaurant in 1995 and had become a well-known staple of the marina. The barge closed its doors as a restaurant shortly before it was sold in 2016.

It has since been used as a community space since 2017 and has been the host to a not-for-profit community and youth hub.