A Kent pier is set to fully reopen in the coming weeks - months after being damaged by Storm Ciarán.

Replacement grills are due to be installed on the lower deck of Deal Pier this month amid ongoing concerns over the safety of the structure.

Dover District Council (DDC), which owns the landmark, says the site will be fully opened “shortly after” the work is completed.

High waves and winds of more than 85mph whipped the Kent coast during the storm, which hit the county on Thursday, November 2.

A DDC spokesman said: “The new replacement grills are due to be installed this month, and we anticipate that the closed area of the lower deck will be opened shortly afterwards.

“A section of the lower deck has been closed while this work is completed, although we would note that it has been necessary to close the whole of the lower deck on occasions due to adverse weather.

“We would stress that the main part of Deal Pier is open.”

In August, a council report revealed concerning images of what appeared to be extensive rusting on the legs of the pier.

The report stated the legs have “deteriorated” over the past few years, with signs of rusting and the exposure of the “internal reinforcement bar”.

But it added: “While present concrete defects can make the structure look vulnerable, it is worth noting that it is the steel within the concrete that is doing most of the work.

“The concrete in this scenario adds a layer of protection to the steel against corrosion from its coastal environment.”

Council bosses confirmed last year that a full structural survey of the pier – believed to cost in the region of £75,000 – is set to take place in the spring.