Cutty Sark, one of London's most recognisable tourist attractions, has been badly damaged by fire in its dry dock in Greenwich, east London.

The 19th century ship – the last surviving tea clipper in the world – was undergoing a £25m conservation project to protect it from corrosion and to make it more accessible to visitors.

According to a spokesperson for the Cutty Sark Enterprises, due to the restoration work, the vessel’s masts and around 50 per cent of the original timber planks had been removed and were stored elsewhere at the time of the fire.

The fire was spotted during the early hours of Monday and around 10 fire engines were fighting the blaze until it was brought under control at around 7am.

The police are treating the fire as suspicious and, according to a spokesperson speaking to the BBC Morning News, are currently studying CCTV footage from the site.

Cutty Sark was opened as a visitor attraction by the Queen in June 1957, and since then more than 15 million visitors have boarded the ship.

The Cutty Sark Trust – which is organising the restoration scheme – was awarded a £11.75m grant by the Heritage Lottery Fund in January 2006.