Southport Pier went up in flames last night, with the blaze spreading to a local cafe building.

The 165-year-old structure, which has been closed for safety reasons since December 2022, caught fire just before midnight. Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service (MFRS) managed to extinguish the fire, which is believed to have been accidental.

A spokesperson for MFRS said: "Crews were alerted at 11.48pm and on scene at 11.54pm, with three fire engines in attendance.

"Crews arrived to find a hut on fire on the pier affecting an area around 20 metres by five metres on and below the pier. Crews secured water supplies and began to fight the fire, which had spread to a café building, using main branch hoses both on the pier and from below it.

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“The main body of fire was extinguished by around 12.50am on the morning of September 1 and firefighters continued to damp down the scene and monitor for hot spots, with the fire completely extinguished by 1.34am.

"Crews left the scene after handing over to Sefton Council and security staff at 2.08am. The fire is believed to have been accidental, the cause being an electrical fault."

The blaze comes just weeks after Chancellor Rachel Reeves revealed the government’s intentions to support the restoration of the pier in her latest Spending Review, with Sefton Council Leader, Marion Atkinson stating that once the funding is confirmed, “we’re ready to go within six to eight weeks”.

In a statement this morning (September 1), a spokesperson for Sefton Council said: “We would like to thank the swift actions of our onsite security teams and the brilliant crews from Merseyside Fire and Rescue following a small electrical fire on Southport Pier overnight.

“The fire was quickly extinguished and at this stage we do not believe it has caused any significant damage to the structure.

“It is not being treated as suspicious and we are advised that the cause of the fire was an electrical fault.”

They added that the council will continue to liaise with the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government regarding the recently announced Growth Mission Fund, with will fund the pier’s refurbishment “very shortly”.