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Tourists and locals are demanding action be taken to restore a decaying seaside pier to its former glory.
Striking drone photos and footage shows the state and decline of Herne Bay pier in Kent.
It looks frail, weathered and abandoned in the North Sea – with locals saying it is currently a ‘blot’ on the landscape.
It has sparked fears it only has weeks or months left before it collapses into the sea.
All that remains is the facade of the former restaurant which was once connected to the pier.
The pier was once the second-longest in England. It captivated tourists and was the place to be for a number of decades, with the pier head the crown of the attraction.
Locals are furious at the state of Herne Bay’s historic pier that is now completely cut off from the coastline in Kent
The pier once has its own tram system and extended 3,700 feet but its now in a sorry state
The pier’s grand dome is now all that is left but is crumbling away with locals describing it as a ‘great shame’
But a North Sea flood in 1978 and subsequent storms in February 1979 saw the majority of the pier linking the now-demolished pavilion to the pier head give way.
The rest was dismantled for safety reasons in 1980 and although the two storms – just 13 months apart – delivered the final blow, the decline of the attraction was set in motion decades before.
Retired HR executive Debbie Holland, who lives in Herne Bay, said its current state was a ‘great shame’.
The 68-year-old said: ‘It’s sad. It was once so lovely. It’s been like that for years though. It just looks like they have dumped it into the sea.
‘It’s awful. It’s really unique and would be an amazing project if someone could restore it to its former glory and get it back in use.
‘It would transform the area.
‘You’ve got hundreds of people playing on and enjoying the beach today and they are looking out at something which looks miserable.
‘I would love to see it restored.’
The pier was once the second-longest in England and was the jewel of the town stretching far out into the sea
However after years of neglect it is now in a sorry state and a far cry from its Vioctoria era hey-day
The walkway connected the dome at the end of the pier with the shore was devastated by a flood in 1978 and a storm the year later
Chatham resident Geoffrey Spencer-Webb believed there was a ‘small fortune’ to be made in hiring out boat trips for people to get closer to it.
The 68-year-old said: ‘It is a real shame. Somebody needs to try and make the most of a bad situation.
‘I would be interested in having a closer look at it by going out on a boat.
‘It’d make a small fortune for someone as well.
‘At the moment I am not sure how long it has left. One bad winter and it could just all fall apart and go into the sea.
‘It would be great if it could be somewhat restored.’
Kimberley Hyde, 40, said it was currently a ‘real waste’.
The mum, of Grays, Essex, said: ‘If it was joined back together then it could be one of the nicest piers in Britain.
‘It could be like Southend. It’s a real waste at the moment.
‘What a shame. It is ugly to look out.’
After the storm in 1979 the remains of the pier’s walkway were dismantled for safety reasons leaving its grand head to stand alone at sea
Herne Bay’s current working pier is nowhere near as long or grand in structure and is home to a small fairground
Ryan Pyatt, 45, was visiting Herne Bay for the day from Margate.
The plumber said: ‘I reckon it could just fall apart in one or two bad storms.
‘It could be amazing.
‘Looking at it now it’s just terrible. Why can’t something be done about it?
‘It would really brighten the area up.’
Canterbury City Council, which is responsible for the landmark, insists it is in a ‘reasonable condition with a level of corrosion and deterioration you would expect for a maritime structure of its age with no routine maintenance’.
It said it does not have the cash to restore it but would be willing to listen to proposals from the community.
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