A PIER off the Teesside coast faces collapse unless emergency repairs are carried out.

Surveys conducted at the end of July showed that about 40 metres of the outer North Pier, at Hartlepool, will collapse unless the town's borough council spends £200,000 to repair it.

About £40,000 of work is nearing completion on the inner pier, which went £15,000 over budget after more work was needed cleaning seaweed from the wall.

Councillors will decide whether to carry out the work at a meeting on Tuesday.

If they decide to do nothing, 40 metres of the pier could collapse in the next severe storm.

The council admits it has little option but to carry out repairs.