Part of Brighton's historic West Pier collapses into the sea as Storm Austen batters Britain with 110mph winds
The Met Office warns power cuts and structural damage to buildings are a significant risk as the storm targets Cornwall, Devon, Plymouth and the Isles of Scilly from…
Local man Simon Haffenden was filming the huge waves when one slammed into the landmark and its right side crashed into the water. 'It was an incredible sound, but it was really shocking,' said Haffenden, who has lived in Brighton for 16 years. The grade I listed pier opened in 1866 and has been shut since 1975. Kate Phillips of the West Pier Trust insists the middle section will stand.
Storms in 2002 and two fires in 2003 had already wrecked most of the pier.
At its peak, the seafront attraction drew two million visitors.
Phillips was defiant: 'I have faith in Victorian infrastructure.'
