A photograph of lightning striking Penarth Pier has won a picture competition - and helped the campaign to renovate the Pavilion building.

Penarthian Mark Rosoman's dramatic shot of lightning hitting the end of the Pier was chosen as winner of the Washington Gallery competition.

The exhibition was part of the campaign to raise public awareness of the Pier Pavilion - and the gallery's bid to the Heritage Lottery Fund to transform the building into a centre for public use.

Conservation architect Niall Phillips is currently working on the renovation plans, with a public display and discussion set for May and June.

Competition votes were cast by visitors to a display of all 86 entries that had been on show since February.

Mr Rosoman said: "I was thrilled to be chosen by public vote from such a high-calibre exhibition."

Maggie Knight, gallery director, said: "We were very excited to see such quality and such brilliant ideas in the photos submitted.

"It shows how much the pier means to local people, and how stimulating it is to the imagination of local artists."

There are plans to take the photographs on a touring exhibition across Wales and to produce a booklet of the images as a record of the varied and imaginative responses by local photographers to the iconic building.

More of Mr Rosoman's work can be seen at: www.flickr.com/photos/time_grabber

12:02pm Wednesday 7th May 2008

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