We’re testing a new site: This content is coming soon
As Eastbourne Pier dramatically went up in flames, this cider-swigging beauty clad in just a leopard print bikini had a picture taken of herself with the smouldering ruins behind her.
It was posted on website Reddit by someone calling themselves Yoko8th and titled ‘A day at the beach’ with the tag words underneath ‘s***’s on fire, yo’.
The picture, which has drawn over one million hits, immediately attracted comments on the woman herself – a Katy Perry look-alike – with one of the first being: “She’s smoking”.
Others likened her to a character from computer game Grand Theft Auto with remarks like: “That really is something hot.”
But locals who watched firemen battle for hours to save the 144-year-old structure from the flames were not so amused as the pier’s arcade was reduced to a charred skeleton.
One critic posted: “I swear to God, one day the apocalypse will come and everyone will be posting selfies.”
Another wrote: “Really wish people would stop taking pictures of my town’s historic landmark burning. So many memories on that pier.”
A clearly angry viewer of the woman’s picture wrote: ‘So fashionable to enjoy destruction and human suffering…’
The unnamed woman may have drawn the most comments but she was not the only one to post a picture of herself.
Onlooker Andrew Belcher took a ‘selfie’ picture of himself with the flames and smoke in the background and posted it on photo-sharing website Instagram.
He captioned the photo: ‘But first let me take a selfie… #eastbourne #pier #fire #crazy #noshame #selfie’
Fire crews managed to save two thirds of the pier after the blaze started in the arcade hall. No-one was injured.
Investigators are picking though the remains to discovered whether the building can be repaired or will have to be pulled down.
Local MP Stephen Lloyd has spoken of his fears that the town’s economy will be severely hit by the potential loss of one of its main tourist attractions.
Mr Lloyd said yesterday: “This is a dreadful event to happen to our lovely pier. I hope and pray that our wonderful pier is not lost for ever.”
The town has been awarded £2 million from the Government to help recover from the blaze.