Arsonists are being blamed for a pub fire which caused more than a million pounds of damage.

Investigations by fire and police officers have revealed the blaze at The Mill, Willingdon Drove, Eastbourne, was almost certainly started deliberately.

Operation Damp has since been launched by CID officers based at Eastbourne to catch those responsible.

Detective Sergeant Colin Dowle said: "It was a serious fire which had the potential to cause loss of life.

"We estimate it has caused £1 million of damage and when you take into account the loss of income and revenue, this could be as much as £1.5 million.

"We are appealing for anyone who may have filmed the fire or taken photographs of it to get in contact with us as they may have details which could help with our investigation."

Almost all of the pub's roof was destroyed in the blaze, it is believed was started in a timber storage shed next to the main building at around 8pm.

The charred shell of the pub has been boarded up.

Fire officers said the inside of the building had been badly damaged by a mixture of heat, smoke and water from hose reels and the rain.

Hundreds of onlookers watched the blaze on Tuesday night which could be seen for miles across town.

Staff and drinkers fled the pub and a nearby hotel was evacuated as a precautionary measure.

Firefighters from across the county were on the scene until the early hours of the morning.

One crew from Eastbourne stayed the night and early into the morning to make sure no hotspots flared up.

A spokeswoman for East Sussex Fire and Rescue Service said their investigations had concluded and the matter was now in the hands of the police.

Anyone who has any information about the blaze is asked to contact Eastbourne CID on 0845 6070999 or Crimestoppers for free and in confidence on 0800 555111.