The pier dates back to 1869

A special executive was recently appointed to raise money for the pier, but has now been made redundant as there were too few business opportunities.

Pier Trustees say the building's future is not immediately in question, but that a cash injection will be needed in the long term.

The Architectural Heritage Fund provided a �110,000 loan in 1988.

'Flawed diamond'

Trustee Simon Talbot Ponsonby told the BBC: "The business manager did some good work trying to establish opportunities, but there were not as many as we thought.

"The maintenance burden is enormous. It was a wonderful - but ludicrous - idea the Victorians had.

"Remember, it is the only grade one listed pier in England," he added.

The pier was built in 1869 using surplus rails from Brunel�s Great Western Railway.

Poet John Betjeman in 1979 said: "Clevedon without its pier would be a diamond with a flaw."