The hundreds of thousands of visitors who walk along Brighton's seafront are confronted by a collapsing mangled wreckage of scrap, which they no doubt think is the result of enemy action during the last war which we have not yet got round to fixing.

We locals, however, know that in the days of the British Empire it was known as the West Pier and will still be there, as it is, when the Romans next invade.

The people who clamour for the type of money which lands a man on the moon for its re-building obviously cannot count so we have to forget them.

If Picasso was still around, he might suggest leaving it as it is but simply paint the steel in all sorts of colours, with hanging metallic reflective streamers blowing in the wind and floodlit at night.

After all, it could only be an improvement to the scrap metal yard it is today, with the bonus that it would also fit in with what is happening along the road at the King Alfred.

-VJ Harman, Hove