The demolition of the gutted old Royal Albion hotel has been postponed but the building remains alight. 

Plans had been made for the facade of the historic seafront hotel in Kings Road, Brighton, to be dismantled to allow firefighters to safely access the burning remains. 

The fire broke out some 26 hours ago in the fourth floor of the building and is still raging on into the lower floors of the hotel.

The demolition originally planned for tonight has been scrapped as the company which would carry out the work is not available until tomorrow at 8.30am.

A spokeswoman for East Sussex Fire and Rescue Service told The Argus: "Crews are instead focusing their efforts on extinguishing the fire in the west of the old building from the outside.

"Firefighters will be on the scene throughout the night."

It is not yet know whether the demolition will go ahead tomorrow. It will depend how the situation develops overnight.