Pier owner's fight reaches court

The pier has hosted a wide array of showbusiness stars

A pier owner has taken his local council to court in an ongoing battle over re-opening the attraction.

Steve Hunt was given a bankruptcy order by Conwy Council last year following a dispute over the amount of council tax and business rates it was claiming.

Mr Hunt owns Colwyn Bay's Victoria pier which he had to close last July.

The council was asked by the court to hand over documents relating to the disputed bill. It will then decide whether to disclose them to Mr Hunt.

The court asked for correspondence between the council and its own lawyers relating to Mr Hunt's case to be disclosed.

Conwy Council said: "The district judge asked that this information be disclosed to the court within 14 days for the court to consider whether it should be disclosed to Mr Hunt or not."

Mr Hunt, who sold his home to take over the £4m restoration of Victoria pier at Colwyn Bay, Conwy county, has been fighting to get the bankruptcy order annulled.

'Town's heritage'

He said he had invested "hundreds of thousands of pounds" in restoring the pier since he bought it five years ago.

According to the Insolvency Service Register, Mr Hunt's bankruptcy is due to end in July 2009.

The pier was once the hub of Colwyn Bay's social life, and stars such as Morecambe and Wise, Ken Dodd, Harry Secombe, Motörhead, Elvis Costello and Slade appeared there.

In the summer there used to be a resident orchestra and leading political figures also spoke there.

During World War II planks in the middle of the pier were reportedly removed, with the aim to deter any enemy landing.