Brighton pier renovation to accelerate after collapse

The owner of Brighton's West Pier has vowed to press on with plans to renovate the derelict attraction, despite the collapse of a large part of the structure on Sunday.

A walkway and several supporting struts fell into the sea, leaving a large hole in the 136 year pier, which has been closed since 1975 bceause of erosion. But it survived high tide on Sunday night and experts believe further damage is unlikely.

A spokesman for West Pier Trust told the BBC: "The pier is precarious and it is difficult to say what will happen next. But we have been talking with engineers, English Heritage and the Lottery Commission over the weekend. And I think plans will now move more swiftly than they had been, judging from the responses I have had."

The future of Brighton's £30 million West Pier development has been in doubt since 1998 when the Heritage Lottery Fund rethought a decision to help fund the restoration, as it was a commercial venture.