The West Pier is at serious risk of falling into the sea and being lost forever, says the chief executive of English Heritage.

The pier in Brighton is in the highest category in English Heritage's annual publication, The Register of Buildings at Risk 2002, published today.

Now conservationists are hoping television viewers could come to the pier's rescue by voting it their favourite in a Pop Idol-style show which would see the winner restored to its former glory.

Chief executive Dr Simon Thurley disclosed details of 1,542 listed buildings around England at risk of falling down.

He paid particular attention to the West Pier in Brighton as a gem under threat of being lost forever if restoration was not carried out immediately.

He said: "Buildings at risk are an invaluable part of our lives and culture.

"They are not just castles and stately homes but familiar landmarks, public halls, old pubs and houses that define the character and appearance of our streets.

"Losing these through neglect and decay changes the way a town, city or village looks forever and squanders its most valuable assets.

"These buildings are both our history and our future."

The register says the West Pier is "in very bad condition," placing it in priority category A(A) for needing urgent restoration.

The pier, designed by Eugenius Birch and completed in 1866, was closed in 1975 and despite a £14 million grant by the Lottery Heritage fund in March 1998, negotiations for its restoration and re-development have failed.

Developers say the pier's restoration relies on permission being granted for buildings on the seafront and planning applications are being considered. Their design has been branded unsuitable by opponents.

Dr Geoff Lockwood, chief executive of the West Pier Trust, said: "We are in full agreement with the assessment of English Heritage and we are working desperately hard with English Heritage, the Heritage Lottery Fund and St Modwen and the city council to get something done about it to ensure the essential features of the West Pier are retained."

Dr Lockwood said the pier's sub-structure was not in immediate danger of collapse but the structures on the pier were in serious risk of being lost at any time.

He added: "The concert hall, which is the finest example of Victorian seaside architecture in the country, could slide off or distort and that could happen, according to our own observations, from now. It's a very serious risk."

The new BBC2 series, called Restoration, aims to attract new fans for crumbling architectural treasures around the country.

Viewers will vote for their favourite endangered buildings, raising money to save the winning entry.

The register lists dozens of historic gems in Sussex at risk.

In Brighton and Hove, the controversial Grade II* listed building Embassy Court, built in 1934 on the seafront, is included, together with Marlborough House in the Old Steine, Stanmer House, The Stables at Stanmer House, and 14 Brunswick Square, Hove.

In Eastbourne, English Heritage has listed Eastbourne Redoubt and Martello Towers 64 and 66. Lewes Priory in Cockshut Road is included, along with the Martello Tower in Normans Bay, Bexhill.

Others on the Sussex list include The Windmill in Herstmonceux, Shoreham Old Fort, Old Shoreham Bridge and the Dome Cinema in Worthing.