The owners of Hastings Pier have obeyed a court order to keep the threatened pier open but have warned the company may go bust.

Traders on the front section of the 130-year-old attraction were granted a High Court injunction on Friday preventing Ravenclaw Investments closing the pier on Saturday as it had planned.

Ravenclaw's pier manager Harmesh Pooni said on Friday he was not sure the order could be enforced and said he might close the structure anyway.

Erica Holland, who runs the Gritti Palace bar, said on Saturday: "We got here this morning wondering whether or not they would obey the order but they have. We're open for business and we plan to stay that way.

"To ignore the order would have been contempt of court, which is taken very seriously."

Most of the pier remains closed after Hastings Borough Council found it was in danger of collapsing into the sea a month ago.

Mr Pooni said Ravenclaw had no choice but to close the entire structure because it had lost 70 per cent of its income by being only partially open, He said: "It's simple economics. The court can tell us to stay open but if we are losing money day after day we will inevitably go into liquidation.

"I understand and share the traders and the public's concerns but I feel this court injunction is delaying the inevitable. You cannot force a company to continue trading at a loss."

A further High Court hearing to decide the future of the pier is set for Friday.