Clean-up time as sweet shop survives arson attack

Firefighters and police had been called at 3am. They found that the shop's awning had been set alight and a window smashed.

The awning had been destroyed.Two fire crews under Crew Commander James Smith found that the flames had spread to the shop fascia, which had to be removed before the fire could be extinguished.

Police said a male suspect who was arrested nearby shortly afterwards was being questioned and an investigation in conjunction with East Sussex Fire and Rescue into the cause of the blaze was ongoing.

Agnes Spittal, who has run the business for 32 years, was phlegmatic about the attack.

She lives over the business and had been woken by the noise of breaking glass.

As work went on outside to make good the damage, she told the Observer: "Never mind - I'm still here..."