Crowds descended on Brighton seafront tonight to see the remains of Brighton’s iconic West Pier lit up by lasers.

The Grand Old Lady, which last week had the remains of its concert hall removed from the beach, was illuminated by green lasers to promote Tiger Beer – 2010 being the year of the Tiger in the Chinese calendar.

French lighting studio Creatmosphere used the computer-controlled lasers to recreate the pier in a ghostly form.

Brighton-based artist Niki Best, who helped create the stunning work, said: “It’s very much a French thing, lighting up buildings. They are very good at it. We don’t really do it as much here, which is a shame.

“When you light buildings it gives them a whole new personality – bares their soul, almost. It’s also an affectionate thing to do, like giving the building a big hug.”