DEMOLITION at a fire-struck empty pub could start as early as next week ahead of a £150millon pound development – developers have confirmed.

The Foresters Arms pub, in Marine Parade, was set alight in the early hours of Saturday morning – with Essex Fire confirming they are treating the incident as arson.

A fire was started on the first floor at roughly 12.30am, and firefighters spent two hours at the site extinguishing the blaze.

The pub and “adult entertainment business” closed earlier this month after it was served notice in April, with developers keen to see it demolished so the 282-home Marine Plaza development can move forward.

Residents were concerned the derelict pub could have the same fate as the Esplanade pub – which has stood as a burn-out shell for six months.

But now, developers Inner London Group has said it is due to meet with contractors, and demolition on the pub, and neighbouring building, partly occupied by a fish and chip, could start next week.

Larry Fenttiman, director, said: “It is a shame there has been the fire, but thankfully no-one was hurt and it has not had any affect on the schedule we are planning.

“As everyone knows we had been trying to get the pub emptied for a while, and it was finally closed on June 9. It seems that someone broke into the pub on Saturday night and started a fire on the first floor.

“We have no control over that at all. But it does not make much difference to us, the building had been vacated for demolition and it is still vacant.

“We have a meeting booked with demolition contractors at the site on Wednesday, which was booked in before the fire. If everything goes to plan, we will look to start demolition in the first week of July, and have the pub and fish and chip shops gone in the next few months.”

Planning permission was granted in 2015 for 282 flats along with shops and restaurants on the landmark seafront site.