IT IS goodbye as the nearly 150-year-old columns standing at the seaside end of the West Pier have been ripped up by construction workers.

Workmen using heavy machinery moved in yesterday to begin dismantling the structure and removing the iconic cast iron pillars which stand opposite the gutted pier from the beach.

It was revealed last Friday by the West Pier Trust that the columns were to be removed and placed into storage.

The pieces of the structure will be used in the redevelopment of the area in conjunction with the i360 project.

Jason Kitcat, leader of Brighton and Hove City Council, tweeted “The pillars will appear as part of the landscaping in a sculptural way.”

Work began on Monday as contractors carried out the groundwork needed for the move.
Rachel Clark, chief executive of the West Pier Trust, assured people that the seaward structure will remain unchanged.