Brighton's dilapidated West Pier continues to be battered by Storm Claudio.

Part of the rusting structure fell into the sea overnight as fierce winds pounded Sussex.

Shocking drone footage shows even more of the south west corner of the pier seems to be missing.

The Argus reported how some of it had fallen into the sea this morning.

It came after the pier was battered by Storm Claudio overnight with wind gusts of 62mph in Brighton and mountainous seas.

The Argus: Latest picture of West Pier this afternoonLatest picture of West Pier this afternoon (Image: Sussex News and Pictures)

Despite the Met Office’s yellow weather warning ending at 8am, Sussex has continued to be hit by heavy wind and rain throughout the morning and into the afternoon.

One bystander said: “It’s horrifying to see. A lot of people hate the West Pier. But until it has actually gone I think we should all love it. It’s a landmark.”

Julia Claxton, a photographer, spoke to The Argus this morning about the collapse.

She said: “It's been a really rough night. There was a lot of debris on the beach. I was doing a bit of a beach clean and seeing what is out there.

"I always wonder how the pier has survived after a stormy night. I took a big camera down and had a look.

"I walked from the Hove end and it was quite obvious that quite a large chunk had gone.”

The West Pier Trust said it was going to look at the collapse but agreed from the pictures it looked like part of the pier had gone.

The Argus: West Pier this morningWest Pier this morning (Image: Julia Claxton)

The West Pier closed to the public in 1975 and fell into disrepair.

Parts of it fell into the sea in 2002 and there was a devastating fire in 2003 which destroyed it.

It also had a partial collapse in 2016.

The Argus: Drone shot of West Pier in BrightonDrone shot of West Pier in Brighton (Image: Sussex News and Pictures)

Sussex has had disruption on roads and railway lines today due to the storm.

A cable caught fire on the railway line near Gatwick this morning, while a flying trampoline got caught underneath a train between Worthing and Hove.

There has been minor flooding on roads following heavy rainfall and several reports of fallen trees.