The history of the demise of the West Pier was concisely chronicled by Adam Trimingham last week (The Argus, August 4).

This was timely information for all those who write ill-informed letters to this paper. The uncaring attitude of AVP Ltd. and the then Brighton Council can now be seen to have been primarily responsible for the pier's sorry state.

I was immensely encouraged by Jean Calder's Opinion feature (The Argus, August 7) and believe that the West Pier still has a future. She makes a number of important points, in particular that if Dresden can rebuild its opera house we should be able to rebuild the West Pier. As a founder of the recently refurbished Dome, I for one would willingly become a founder of the West Pier for a similar outlay.

There must be many people, not only locally but nationally, who would also be willing to contribute in this way.

The estimated cost of demolishing the pier is said to be over £3 million. It is absolutely certain that no organisation is going to come up with this money as there is no profit in it.

Therefore, left in its present state, it will become an increasing danger to bathers and shipping. I understand that many of the supports designed by Eugenius Birch are still sound and also that some new supports were installed a few years ago.

In any case, the remaining buildings would have had to have been removed so the storms and the arsonists have done this work free of charge.

I would be appalled if the West Pier Trust was forced into liquidation by an order for demolition.

After all, such funds as it has were contributed for the restoration of the pier, not its demolition.

In such event, surely the Trust should return the funds to the donors?

A possible way forward would be to form a parallel charity to support but not to own the pier, in the same way that Volk's Electric Railway Association supports the railway but does not own it.

In this way, contributions would be safeguarded and could only be used for the rebuilding of the pier.

-Peter Bailey, Brighton