WORK to save Brighton's West Pier will finally start on Monday, the Argus can reveal.

Divers will be going down to inspect the underwater piles to see what needs to be done.

And once their job is completed, essential strengthening and emergency works on the 130-year-old listed structure can go ahead.

These have been sanctioned by the Heritage Lottery Fund, which last year awarded £14 million to restore the pier.

Provided full agreement is reached with the new private sector consortium, work will start in July on the sub-structure and deck of the pier.

This will be followed by restoration of the buildings on top to their authentic Twenties' state.

The last stage of the £30 million restoration will be to put up a new building on the lower esplanade essential for the pier restoration to be viable.

Consultant engineer Jon Orrell said "This is it!"

But he added that work for the divers would be both difficult and dangerous.

Mr Orrell, whose firm is based in Hove, said: "Thereare underwater obstructions, strong currents and visibility is almost nil."

He added that work could only go ahead provided the weather was fine.

Brighton West Pier Trustchief executive Geoff Lockwood said: "It is time to celebrate the end of the dark ages of the West Pier.

"We look forward to the Queen of Piers again adorning and enhancing the Brighton and Hove seafront."

If all goes well, the restored pier will be ready and open for business in 2001.

Boxer Chris Eubank is part of the consortium which last week revealed its plans for the pier.

Planning permission still has to be obtained for the new on-shore building.

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.