One of Britain’s most famous seaside attractions, Brighton Pier, has been put up for sale for the first time in more than 25 years.

Its owner, Noble Group, has not revealed a guide price for the Grade II*-listed landmark but the company handling its sale, GVA Humberts Leisure, reported strong interest from potential buyers.

Noble, which has owned the structure since 1984, has invested £35m in the 112-year-old pier, formerly known as the Palace Pier.

Brighton Pier is regarded as one of Britain’s most visited places, with 18 themed attractions and rides and two amusement arcades.

Greta Garbo, Grace Kelly, Winston Churchill and Clement Attlee have all paid a visit, as have more recent celebrities such as the Who and Arctic Monkeys. Two Carry On films, Carry On At Your Convenience and Carry On Girls, were partly shot on location there.

Along the coast in Brighton is another landmark, the Grade I-listed West Pier, which remains a twisted shell after being destroyed by fires and storms.

As Brighton Pier became one of the UK’s trending topics on Twitter, many users urged a new owner to change its name back to the Palace Pier.

Brighton and Hove council leader Bill Randall said new owners would bring the opportunity for new ideas for the structure.

David Biesterfield, Noble’s development director, said: “Brighton Pier is unique, a dynamic, modern business based on and sustaining our heritage. Since 1984, Brighton Pier has re-established itself as one of the UK’s leading attractions in one of the country’s most popular and forward-looking city resorts.”