THE owners of Weston-super-Mare's new £51 million Grand Pier have been presented with a prestigious award for their work rebuilding the fire ravaged seafront landmark.

Kerry and Michelle Michael were presented with an "outstanding achievement award" by the National Piers Society.

The brother and sister business duo were handed a specially commissioned Bristol Blue Glass plate which features an image of the newly rebuilt pavilion.

The award – the first of its kind – was the brainchild of National Pier Society representative Chris Wyatt, who represents piers in South Wales.

He contacted National Pier Society south west executive committee member, Mike Davies, who lives in the resort, to take the idea forward.

The pier, which opened on October 23, has undergone a £39 million rebuild following a ferocious fire in July 2008 which destroyed the pier pavilion.

Work on rebuilding the pier started in April 2009 and was completed this autumn, opening its doors for the first time on October 23.

In its first few weeks of opening the attraction, which stretches quarter of a mile out to sea, has welcomed around 500,000 visitors from right across the country.

Mr Davies said: "Kerry and Michelle have given us a 22nd century pier.

"This award is a one-off and recognises the challenges the pair and their team have had to overcome during the rebuilding project.

"We felt that Kerry and Michelle's hard work needed to be recognised in some way. The 'super' was lost out of Weston-super-Mare when the pier was destroyed by fire.

"Now we have the 'super' back with a world class pier that Weston can be proud of."