The Seaforth was left a smouldering ruin after internal walls and its roof were destroyed by intense flames which raged for more than three hours.

Firefighters, detectives and council officials launched a joint probe into the fire, which broke out the day before plans to convert the hotel into apartments and build flats next to it were to be discussed by councillors.

The incident was reported to police shortly before 5am, and officers who attended called in Tayside Fire and Rescue, which initially scrambled two appliances from the town and one from Carnoustie.

Watch manager Cameron McRae, among the first on the scene, called for back-up as the scale of the operation became apparent.

Another tender from Montrose was then summoned, as well as an aerial ladder platform and command support unit from Dundee.

Fire service group manager Steve Herron explained six firefighters donned breathing gear and entered the burning building, but they were pulled out for their own safety after only 10 minutes.

Mr Herron explained, “The state of the building at that point had become precarious. It looked like the roof was going to collapse.”

A high-level platform was brought into action to douse the flames from above at the north side of the hotel.

“Unfortunately, the walls began to look as if they were going to collapse, so that was withdrawn,” Mr Herron continued.

A change in wind direction caused concern as embers were fanned in the direction of Gayfield football stadium and Pleasureland indoor funfair.

Firefighters were diverted to monitor the situation over fears the buildings would catch fire.

By 8am the firefighters had the blaze under control.

“I am proud at the way the crews responded to the incident,” Mr Herron went on. “It was quite a fierce fire, one of the biggest in Arbroath in recent times, and, despite their valiant efforts, the building is now a shell.

“It is not an impressive sight for what was once a proud building.”

He said it was too early to say what caused the fire, which is now being investigated.

Queen’s Drive, between Millgate and Westway, was closed during the operation, and was expected to remain so for some time.

Electricity and gas engineers were isolating supplies to the building.

Jackie Cartwright, daughter of Bill and Sandra Rennie, who ran the Seaforth Hotel for eight years before selling to Steven Smith in January, said her parents were both “devastated”.

She said, “The hotel was part of their lives for a long time, and they are devastated to hear what has happened.

“I went down myself this morning, and it is very upsetting to see something my parents built up with their own hands to a respectable level on fire.

“It was bad enough seeing the hotel boarded up, but at least we had hope someone would take it over and run it as a hotel again.”

Angus councillor Alex King, whose ward includes the Seaforth, watched as the building burned.

“I am shocked and saddened,” he said. “It was a venue that had seen better days, certainly, but still gave good service.”

Angus MP Mike Weir also expressed sadness, describing it as a “sorry end to one of Arbroath’s major seafront landmarks”.

“Everyone in Arbroath and those who stayed at the hotel will be saddened,” he added.

It emerged today the fire which tore through the Seaforth happened two days after the planning application to turn it into flats was withdrawn.

An Angus Council spokesman confirmed the planning department received an email on the about-turn on Monday. It was followed up by letter yesterday. He would not elaborate further on what the letter contained or reasons, if any, for the move.

Plans to convert the hotel into five apartments and build a block of 46 flats nearby were to have been discussed at tomorrow night’s development control committee meeting in Forfar.

Councillors were being urged by infrastructure services director Eric Lowson to reject the proposals, stating it breached policies and that insufficient effort had been put into trying to market it in a bid to retain the hotel.

New owners Seaforth Investments, in papers submitted to the local authority, said the hotel business was no longer viable, as the property was in a poor state and needed investment of up to £1.9 million.

The plans prompted some anger in the town, with eight letters of objection, including one from the town community council, sent to the council.

Local councillor Alex King, a development control committee member, intends raising the hotel issue tomorrow, despite the withdrawal of the plans. “I will be asking questions of building control in terms of the structural integrity of the shell,” he said.

— The Seaforth was a hotel for more than half a century. It had 19 en-suite rooms and a leisure centre with a heated 30-foot swimming pool, Jacuzzi, steam room, sauna and gym, plus two function rooms each catering for up to 120 guests.

It was built in the 1820s as a house and, since becoming a hotel, had seen many changes and extensions. It has been boarded up since the beginning of the year when it changed ownership.