destruction because the collapsed walkway prevented them from reaching it. As fire investigators were unable to access the site for safety reasons, the cause of the fire remains unknown, although it is thought to have been arson. A more severe fire, also thought to have been intentional, burned through 11 and 12 May 2003, consuming most of what was left of the concert hall. On 23 June 2004, high winds caused the middle of the pier to collapse completely. The following month, English Heritage declared the pier beyond repair. The West Pier Trust remained adamant that they would soon begin full restoration work. Retired boxer and local resident Chris Eubank criticised the delays, saying he could raise the money himself in six months. In December 2004, the Trust confirmed the restoration would not be going ahead after their plans were rejected by the Heritage Lottery Fund. The pier was partially demolished in February 2010, partly to make way for the planned i360 observation tower. In February 2014, due to stormy weather, the pier split in half and a large part of the centre fell into the sea. Waves swept away the eastern side of the damaged metal skeleton, which remained after the 2003 fire. A selection of artefacts rescued from the pier is exhibited in the Brighton Fishing Museum. A further section of the pier collapsed in February 2016. Part of the southwest corner of the pier collapsed overnight during Storm Claudio in November 2022. The construction of the i360 has revived interest in building a new West Pier on the site of the original. The West Pier Trust was hopeful that it could be in place by 2026 in time for the pier's 160th anniversary. By October 2016, the trust had concluded that restoration of the original West Pier was beyond any practical means. As of 2019, the Trust seeks to restore a Victorian-era octagonal kiosk that was salvaged from the pier in 1996 and plans to raise the estimated cost of about £750,000 using a crowdfunding campaign among other avenues. It has also started periodic auctioning of various remains and fragments of the pier to fund a new seaside learning centre at the site of the original kiosk. Another Brighton-based organisation, City Partnerships, have proposed construction of a new pier in the original location, which would be free to enter like the original and complement the nearby Brighton