BUSINESSMAN Tony Garner has poured time, money and dreams into backing a conviction. He believes Southend Pier needs an overhaul and that he is the man to provide it.

First came his pierhead Swine rollercoaster, then the even more ambitious scheme for Atlantis City: A theme park at sea.

Mr Garner has attracted considerable opposition, and in some cases scorn, although there is no reason to believe his schemes aren't financially and technically feasible.

What is in no doubt is the strength of his commitment.

He has stayed the course through numerous disappointments. Other would-be pier saviours have come and gone. Tony Garner has gone on slogging it out.

Now comes another blow. He has been excluded from the council's public consultation exercise on the future of the pier.

At the very least, there should be the opportunity for an open rejection of the Atlantis City scheme by the public.

On the one hand, Mr Garner has been denied the chance to present his case.

Yet on the other, he is being permitted to pursue a tortuous process to gain planning consent for Atlantis City.

Would it be kinder if the council now put him out of his misery for good? "Sorry, Mr Garner, but you are wasting your time and money. The chances for Atlantis City are non-existent."

Yet this perpetual optimist has seen so many changes in attitude towards the pier already, that he would probably just keep on going.