VIRTUALLY every day, come rain or shine, you can see them down on the front.

Amateur photographers drawn to the West Pier.

They come from miles around to take their stunning pictures. For there is clearly beauty in decay.

Make no mistake, West Pier is a tourist attraction – its stark strands of iron against sea and sky a stunning sight.

It is not too far fetched to suggest that it does contribute to our tourist economy.

Now it faces an accelerated decline as global warming brings in more wet windy weather to our shores.

Storm Imogen tore off another chunk this week, leading engineers to suggest there might only be five years left until the sea finally claims her.

So let’s just use our imagination for a bit. Does it have to be like that?

Is it really totally impossible that the pier could be defended?

Not returned to former glory like some want. That is probably too much.

But what about stopping the rot and then encouraging a leading sculptor to turn her into a work of art, something that keeps her essential shape but enhances it?

Look what Angel of the North sculptor Sir Anthony Gormley did with his figures in the sea at Crosby called Another Place. Spectacular.

Could any of this happen? How much would it cost?

Plenty would join the fight we suspect.

So here’s a thought for the weekend.

Do we in Brighton and Hove have the fight and enthusiasm to investigate saving the West Pier?

Or do we shrug our shoulders and let her slowly die?