The blaze destroyed about 40% of the rollercoaster at Margate's former Dreamland amusement park.

The Grade II scenic railway, the oldest rollercoaster of its kind left in the world, had not been operating for two years.

A Kent Police spokeswoman said the cause of the fire was still under investigation but was being treated "as suspicious".

Kent Fire and Rescue Service spokesman Chris Newberry said: "About 40% of the structure has collapsed but we have managed to save the rest of the Scenic Railway.

"We are keeping an eye on a small section which is in slight danger of collapse, but the rest of the structure appears to be stable."

Thanet District Council leader Sandy Ezekiel, who visited the site, said: "It's a scene of devastation. When I arrived, the flames were 40-50ft high from the top of the ride. The fire brigade did a tremendous job in bringing it under control very quickly."

Mr Ezekiel said the damage caused by the fire was a great loss for the residents of Margate, but maintained the rollercoaster could be rebuilt.

He said: "I used to ride on it as a young child. It's really very sad."

(Lat:51.38667550359164,Long:1.3792728196233308,Place:'Margate')