PART of Boscombe Pier appears to be crumbling away just three years after a refurbishment, said a councillor.

Roger West noticed that the casing around one of the support columns at the far end had disappeared.

He said: “One of the legs seems to be disintegrating, or at least the outer casing is coming away.”

Boscombe Pier was completely refurbished in 2008 at a cost of £2.4million.

Works included repairs to the concrete structure, replacement of the end section, new wooden decking, handrails, lighting and a new windbreak.

It went on to win ‘Pier of the Year’ in 2010, as voted for by members of the National Piers Society.

Cllr West said: “I have been told it is breaking up because it was hit by a boat.

“If it is giving up already because of that, what a waste.”

Tony Williams, Bournemouth Council’s executive director for environment and economic services, said: “We are aware of the issues affecting the Boscombe Pier column.

“Our inspection confirms that the pier remains structurally sound and there are repair works planned to be carried out in around September and October.”

The pier needed emergency repairs in 2010 after changes in the level of the sea-bed left structural piles exposed.

Members of the public were barred from the final 15ft of the pier while the works were carried out.

Boscombe Pier was originally built in 1888, and it also underwent a major rebuild in the 1950s.