Suffolk community fight to save their historic pier from being lost forever

• Video report by ITV News Anglia's Serena Sandhu

People living at Shotley in Suffolk at the mouth of the rivers Orwell and Stour are fundraising to buy their Victorian pier.

Shotley Pier is steeped in military history, and shares in the site go on sale at the end of the month.

The pier was built in 1894 as a landing stage for a ferry between the village of Shotley to Harwich and Felixstowe.

It was originally owned by the Marquis of Bristol and was a toll pier for people to make the boat trip, as well as being a way of transporting post between Essex and Suffolk.

It's currently owned by East Anglian Properties but the local community hopes to restore it back to its former glory.

Shotley Heritage Charitable Community Benefit Society is looking to raise £350,000 to buy, repair and renovate the pier.

The community can buy a share in the pier and have a say in how it's run for £25 per share, and that money will be matched by the Coop's 'Power to Change Community Share Programme' up to £100,000.

Local residents have already pledged £20,000, and the pier group hope to be able to purchase the site by this spring and start restoring it as soon as possible.