Forensic scientists and fire investigators combed the burned remains of the Cutty Sark today for clues about yesterday's suspicious fire.

Police photographers were among the first to be allowed onto the site of the blaze at a dry dock in Greenwich, south east London.

Detectives are treating the fire on the ship as suspicious and are examining CCTV footage taken in the hours before emergency services were alerted at 4.46am yesterday. London Fire Brigade investigators are concentrating on finding the source of the fire, reported by witnesses to be near the middle of the ship.

The Cutty Sark Trust, which manages the tea clipper, which once sailed from Australia to London in just 67 days, said the wreckage is a crime scene and only investigators have access.

Conservation workers must wait to find out whether the ship's wrought iron hull, built in 1860s to maximise her grace and speed, may have buckled in the heat. So far, conservationists have expressed cautious optimism that many of the Cutty Sark's main timbers only suffered burns to their surface but the damage to the hull will only be determined by structural engineers.

The Trust is appealing to supporters across the world to help raise the millions of pounds needed to rebuild the clipper. The Duke of Edinburgh was expected to see the scale of the task for himself on a visit to Greenwich this afternoon.

Prince Philip, president of the Cutty Sark Trust, is a keen naval historian and already a supporter of the £25 million restoration project which was already underway and may have saved the ship because it involved the removal of many parts, including its masts, coach houses and planking from the dry dock where the fire took place.

The fire damage is expected to add millions to the final restoration bill and seriously delay the anticipated public reopening date in 2009.

Richard Doughty, chief executive of the Cutty Sark Trust, said: “The Cutty Sark is a national treasure, a piece of maritime history that we must save. We have already been overwhelmed by the public response from all corners of the world, who are so saddened by yesterday’s fire. “We are calling on people everywhere to donate funds to help us preserve this glorious ship for future generations.”

The trust said that an anonymous donor has already pledged £100,000 to the restoration appeal fund. Louise Massara, of the Trust, said the sum was a welcome kick-start for the appeal and that many smaller donations had already been made to a dedicated website, which had raised more than £14,000 as of this afternoon. “All of the small amounts coming in are making a huge difference as well and are greatly appreciated," she said.

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