A neglected pier which has cost millions of pounds to repair will open to the public this weekend.

Work began on the decaying Hastings Pier last year after it was bought from receivers for an undisclosed sum by millionaire, Ian Stuart.

Now the first stage of work to transform the listed attraction into a traditional seaside venue for tourists is complete.

The newly restored iron gates will be opened tomorrow and visitors will be able to stroll around 30 new shops and enjoy a display of boats, art exhibitions and music.

Once all the work is finished, the main building of the 127-year-old pier will hold a ballroom instead of the video games and fruit machines there before.

Mr Stuart, 50, a property tycoon who lives in Andorra, hopes the Victorian pier will give visitors a taste of traditional seaside entertainment that other resorts have lost.

He said: "It's great to have come this far and to get through the fist stage. I wanted a traditional pier with a 1920s feel and this is what we hope we have achieved.

"We still have a way to go, the ballroom and restaurant need to be rebuilt and there's a lot of steelwork to do but I'm looking forward to the day when everything is completed."

It had been thought severe weather and a fire would hold up the grand opening, but workman have battled on to get the structure open on time.

Mr Stuart's wife, Nuria, is president of Mundial the company which funded the repair work.

She said: "It's completely different to before. It's very peaceful, there are no arcade games or loud music, it's not just for young people and it's not just a summer attraction."

Built in 1873, Hastings Pier is one of only seven surviving piers in the country.

It was built by Victorian engineer Eugenius Birch who also built Brighton's West Pier and Eastbourne Pier.

The project has been welcomed by the National Pier Society, whose members have been anxious to see the prized structure saved.