Photos show extent of storm damage to Roker Pier's railings

Railings have gone from part of Roker Pier, close to its lighthouse.

The photographs from Sunderland City Council show the damage caused to the structure by the waves crashing against the walls and gale force winds in recent days.

The impact was so strong more than 50 metres of railings were torn from the structure.

A section of Roker Pier where railings have been washed away by stormy seas.

The walkway has been closed off to the public and will remain closed off until an assessment has been carried out and work is completed to ensure it is safe for the public to visit once again.

The damage has led to the postponement of lighthouse tours, which were set to begin this week following the £2.5million restoration of the pier.

Guided visits of the Grade II listed lighthouse had been due to start on Tuesday, but have been postponed until the repairs have been carried out.

The continuing poor weather conditions have made it hard for engineers to carry out checks.

Cabinet secretary Coun Mel Speding said: “The pier was built to protect the harbour from the sea so in a sense this just proves it is doing its job.

“While it’s not the first time it’s been badly battered by storms nor will it be the last, it’s certainly a setback but it’s one that we will recover from.

“In the past when the pier has been closed due to weather conditions we have had problems with some fishermen climbing over the gates but we really can’t emphasise strongly enough how dangerous that would be at this point in time because towards the seaward end of the pier on the harbour-side there are no railings to prevent people being washed into the sea.”

The Roker Pier and Lighthouse page on Facebook tells followers: “We will be updating the website with information as we receive it, as well as sharing updates on our Facebook page.

“We hope to be in a position to re-launch tours as soon as possible.”