AN ambitious campaign has been launched to restore a landmark pier to its former glory.

John Rodgers is passionate about his home town and set up a Port Glasgow nostalgia online page to champion its rich history.

He and his friend Charlie Gallagher now want to save a piece of it — Lamont’s Pier, formerly at Lamont’s Ship Yard, from falling into further disrepair.

John said: “Both Charlie and I were brought up in Kelburn and I remember coming down to the pier when we were kids, before the new dual carriageway was built.

“It brings back a lot of happy memories.

When Charlie took a picture of the pier, which is near to Newark Castle, and posted it on his nostalgia page it received 500 replies.

He said: “I think it should be preserved.

“It’s a Port Glasgow landmark and should be saved.

“It you don’t value these things, you lose them.”

The structure currently has a safety warning gate attached to it, stopping people from walking on it.

Charlie, 53, of North Road, said: “It’s fallen into disrepair but if it was restored people could fish on it.

“We could install picnic benches and sit and enjoy the views.

“It also links up with the coastal path.”

Charlie, who is employed by the social work department in Renfrewshire, said: “If another town had a pier like this people would value it and do it up.”

James Lamont & Co Shipbuilders and Repairers in Greenock was founded in 1870 and operated from Dock Breast.

They leased the East India Drydock and later built another.

In 1925, the firm was incorporated as a private limited company, James Lamont & Co Ltd, and absorbed the boiler making and engineering business of Andrew Turner Lamont.

The company bought the Castle Works at Port Glasgow and started building ships there from around 1946 but closed in 1980.

At one time there were parallel piers but only one survives.

If anyone wants to support the campaign they should visit https://www.facebook.com/groups/388490454620534/