MOVES to reduce the number of rides on Brighton's Palace Pier could drastically hit tourism, a public inquiry heard today.

The removal of 12 attractions from the end of pier could see the Grade II* listed building fall into the same state of disrepair as the West Pier, the pier's owners claim.

Richard Phillips QC, representing the Noble Group, also said the sea end of the pier could be forced to close out of season.

The inquiry, being held at Brighton Town Hall, follows Brighton and Hove Council's refusal a year ago to allow the Noble Group permission to keep 12 rides on the pier.

The authority says rides like the rollercoaster and Ranger are out of keeping with the 100-year-old building's appearance.

But Mr Philips maintains the rides are essential to the commercial wellbeing of the structure.

He said: "If this pier is deprived of its major rides it will not be able to compete effectively with other attractions in the area."

He added that since taking over the pier in 1984, the organisation had used the rides to increase the number of visitors from one million to around four million a year.

Mr Philips said if the rides were forced to go the pier could become a mirror image of the derelict West Pier, or require huge public subsidies to stay open.

The inquiry is expected to last at least three days with a Whitehall decision later this year.

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