First among piers?

This pile of rusting iron and barnacled wood is part of Worthing Pier which according to the tatty signs attached to it proclaim that the pier was voted Britain's no.1 pier in 2006. Since I don't remember any major catastrophes hitting Worthing in the past 4 years like Earthquakes, Volcanic eruptions, Tornadoes, Hurricanes, Tsunamis etc, I cannot imagine what happened to the pier to turn it from the 'best' pier in the country to the sorry state it is in now.