A huge operation was launched when fire started in a wooden jetty at Falmouth Docks at 0230 GMT on Wednesday.

At its height, 100 firefighters and dock personnel tackled the flames, which destroyed about 650 feet (200 metres) of Queen's Wharf, built in 1936.

The A&P Group, which manages the docks, has said jobs will be lost because it cannot deal with certain repair work because of diminished berth capacity.

The fire destroyed a 650-foot long wooden jetty

"It puts further risk on the viability of the docks," said David Ring, chief executive A&P Group.

"A lot of the infrastructure is getting old and what we need to do is bring the docks into the 21st Century.

"Sorting out the Queens Wharf is an absolutely fundamental part of achieving that."

Fire crews were still damping down at the wharf on Thursday morning, after spending a second night at the scene.

The dock's 500 staff will have to wait until next week to hear precisely what effect the fire will have on their future employment.

An investigation into the cause is already under way.

However, fire officers have said it may be days before any results are known.