29 pictures of Morecambe's long gone Central and West End Piers bring back fond memories

Built during the late 1860s, the Central Pier was 912 feet (278 m) long and featured a large pier head served by steamboats.

An arcade existed at the pier entrance with covered walkways either side that led onto a central covered walkway.

At the pier head was a ballroom, small theatre and a skating rink, the latter two having been added following widening into a T-shape configuration.

Two significant fires occurred during its lifetime, one in 1933 destroying the pavilion then dubbed the "Taj Mahal of the North", and another in 1991.

During Easter of 1986, decking collapsed at the seaward end of the pier which forced its closure and a fire on February 4 the following year damaged the amusement arcade.

Having been declared unsafe in 1987, another fire destroyed the pavilion and ballroom on March 31 1991 and following a condemnation report by the council, demolition occurred in March the following year.

West End Pier was one of two piers in Morecambe built during the late 19th century to an eventual length of 1,800 feet (550 m) long and officially opened on April 3 1896.

The pier sustained storm damage in 1903 and 1907, the latter washing away 180 feet (55 m) of the extension and a fire in 1917 destroyed the pavilion.

By October 1927 following another storm, the length of the pier had been reduced to around 900 feet (270 m), half its originally constructed length.

A storm in November 1977 destroyed a third of the pier, isolating the open-air dancing area.

With repair costs estimated at £500,000 (equivalent to £3,300,000 in 2021), it was considered too prohibitive and demolition occurred in 1978.

No pier was built to replace it.