The West Pier blaze is the fourth disaster to hit the Old Lady in a matter of months.

On March 28, firefighters were faced with a similar scene when fire ripped through the theatre, leaving nothing but the original iron structure.

More than a thousand people gazed from the beach and promenade as flames consumed the Grade I- listed structure.

It is believed that the fire was started deliberately but last week police said they had no evidence to prove it was arson.

The Argus received a letter from a man who dubbed himself Piers Burns, saying he had started the fire in protest at the war in Iraq.

Despite the setbacks, it is a testimony to the architects who built the West Pier 137 years ago it is still standing.

The pier was constructed in 1866 by master pier builder Eugenius Birch and the pavilion 27 years later. It was soon converted into a 1,400- seater theatre and after the Second World War it became an amusement arcade.

The pavilion closed in 1970 on safety grounds and the rest of the pier followed on September 30, 1975.

Last December and again in January this year, large parts of the derelict pier were badly damaged in storms and sections collapsed into the sea.

However, nothing seems to dent the enthusiasm of the team behind controversial £30m plans to return the beleaguered pier to its former glory.

The West Pier Trust says restoration will continue and an authentic rebuild is still possible given the shell of the structure would have been pulled down anyway.

Brighton and Hove City Council agreed in Feb-ruary, despite fierce opposition, to back the £30 million restoration and work is still expected to begin in early 2004.

Brighton Pier, which used to be called the Palace Pier, has also not escaped unscathed this year.

In February, it was gripped by a fire which started in the ghost train. Most of the attraction was able to reopen hours after fire when engineers discovered the damage was not as bad as they feared.