With the only business still left on the aging structure, the bingo club, having shut up shop and left last week the once grand attraction now lays empty.

The pier, which was opened in 1872, was partially closed by Hastings Borough Council in July 2006 amid fears over the structure's safety.

With a sell-out concert by pop band The Kooks fast approaching and sizable lumps of the pier's underside falling off the decision was taken to restrict access to the main section.

Health and safety bosses believed that, such was the poor condition of the struts and trusses supporting the pier, hundreds of music fans attending the gig could cause it to collapse.

Therefore, the main section of the pier was closed - leaving dozens of tenants with nowhere to trade from. Two summers and a lengthy legal battle between the Council and pier owners Ravenclaw Investments later and the town is no nearer getting its pier back.

In fact, with the last of the weekly Sunday markets having taken place and with the front gates now locked shut - a resolution seems further away than ever.

The Hastings Pier and White Rock Trust is hopeful of attracting heritage and lottery cash to help fund a bid for the pier.

However, the only way the group would be able to take-over the attraction, even if it could find the cash, would be to approach the Council over a back-to-back purchase.

This would see Hastings Borough Council invoke a compulsory purchase order forcing Ravenclaw to sell it to them and then sell it on immediately to the trust for the same price.

So far, the Tory-led Council has been reluctant to commit to this - especially after a structural survey showed it would cost almost £20million to buy the pier and return it to a safe level.

In fact, the same survey showed it would cost more than £3million just to demolish the pier.

Nevertheless, The trust is confident it will be in a position to submit proposals to the Council by the end of the year.

A council spokesman said: "Our understanding is that the front section of the pier has been closed due to commercial reasons. The apron is still safe if any business wanted to operate from it."

One such business could be a revamped Gritti Palace after local publican Brian Welsh was granted a licence for the popular bar little over a month ago.