Littlehampton fire: Crews say blaze at Harvester restaurant is now out but continue to damp down
Footage shows the roof of the seafront Harvester has been completely destroyed.
Update 2:48pm
Firefighters say the fire is now out, but crews will remain on scene for some time monitoring hotspots and damping down.
A spokesperson for West Sussex Fire and Rescue said: "Relief crews are continuing to be brought in to support the response to this incident.
"Fortunately the neighbouring buildings have been saved.
"We would encourage people to continue to avoid the area due to the large amount of smoke still in the air and to allow our firefighters to work safely."
Update 1:24pm
Residents have been describing the moments they discovered the Harvester restaurant in Littlehampton was on fire.
Photos from the scene reveal the roof of the seafront building on Coastguard Road has been completely destroyed in the blaze which is believed to have started in the kitchen.
Windows are gone and the majority of the well-known restaurant's sign have been burnt out.
Fire crews remain at the scene with an aerial ladder, working hard to ensure the fire is fully extinguished.
Drone footage shows the badly damaged Harvester restaurant in Littlehampton.
Residents who saw the fire when it first broke out have described seeing a thick plume of black smoke.
One local woman said: "I was at my friend's house and we saw a big cloud and I thought it was going to rain.
"But then I realised it was so thick and dark, but we couldn't hear any sirens or anything."
Local resident John said: "First of all firefighters couldn't do anything as it was so out of control they let it burn.
"They were putting water on it but it wasn't doing anything."
Residents describe seeing the fire at Littlehampton Harvester
Update 12:35pm
Drone images from the scene of the fire show the devastation the fire has caused to the building.
Fire crews are still in attendance at the Harvester restaurant on the seafront in Coastguard Road, Littlehampton.
The restaurant has said it will update customers who had planned to visit once they know how badly the building has been damaged.
A spokesperson for Harvester said: “We are grateful and wish to thank the emergency services who are responding to the incident at the Windmill.
"Once we have a clear understanding of the extent of the damage we will provide updates to guests who planned to visit us, but at the moment our priority is to ensure the safety and security of the building.”
Flames and thick black smoke can be seen coming from the restaurant.
Update 11:30am
Fire crews tackling a large fire at a Harvester restaurant in West Sussex have drafted in more crews to help tackle the blaze.
Twelve fire engines from across the county are now at the scene of the fire at the rstaurant in Coastguard Road, Littlehampton.
Two aerial ladder platforms and two water carriers are also at the scene.
The fire broke out at around 9am in the kitchen of the restaurant, which then spread to the roof.West Sussex Fire and Rescue Area Manager Gary Ball said: "Our priority at the moment is to protect surrounding buildings, including the Windmill Centre, which I'm pleased to say is being well-protected by crews in attendance.
"When we arrived the building had been fully evacuated, and there have been no injuries on scene due to the fire today."
Firefighters are at the scene of a huge fire at a restaurant in Littlehampton in West Sussex.
Ten fire engines are dealing with the blaze at the Harvester restaurant in Coastguard Road.People are being urged to avoid the area and those living nearby should close doors and windows due to the plume of thick black smoke.
Residents have reported seeing smoke as far away as Arundel.
A spokesperson for West Sussex Fire and Rescue said: "We are dealing with a large fire at Coastguard Road, Littlehampton."Ten fire engines and an aerial ladder platform are currently at the scene."We would ask that all residents avoid the area and keep doors/windows shut as there is a large smoke plume."
ITV Meridian has contacted Harvester for a response.
More follows.