A landmark seafront hotel which had been undergoing a £5 million refurbishment is in danger of collapse after strong winds battered the building.

Towers at the front of the Sackville Hotel in Hove have become unstable and will have to be pulled down.

Emergency services were called yesterday morning at 8am as pieces of debris began falling from the building, which was already covered in scaffolding after the roof collapsed three weeks ago.

Both lanes of the Kingsway were closed as structural engineers from the Hemsley Orrell Partnership and officers from the city council's building control department inspected the hotel.

The hotel's new owners, Sackville Hotel Ltd, who are trying to restore the building to its Fifties heyday, planned to pull down the towers yesterday afternoon and the Kingsway was closed again. However, as conditions worsened and wind and rain lashed the seafront, the demolition was put off and one lane of the road was re-opened.

With more strong winds forecast throughout the weekend, engineers and building consultants will keep a close watch on the building.

A spokeswoman for the owners said they were "devastated" and "very upset", adding: "The towers have become unstable and the decision has been made to pull them down. "The safety of the public is the first priority."

A city council spokesman said: "No debris fell on the outside of the building and the scaffolding is intact but further damage has caused further structural cracking to the extent that its long-term integrity has been compromised.

"Wind-resistant fencing is being put up around the site and the road has been reopened.

Hove councillor Jan Young said she would be extremely sad to see another landmark disappear from Hove's seafront.

She said: "It is a lovely building and we have very few hotels on Hove seafront now."