The demolition of a Liverpool gasholder has prompted an expert to call for a re-think over the future of the landmark buildings.
The Beaufort Street Gasholder in Liverpool, has dominated the skyline for more than seventy years.
But its owners National Grid ordered the demolition of the historic structure without considering that it could be preserved or put to alternative uses.
Many people consider gasholders a blot on the landscape but enthusiasts see them as a thing of beauty and a relic of a the industrial revolution that is fast disappearing.
The classic column-guided type gasholder in Dingle, Liverpool, was constructed in the inter-war years but the facility is no longer needed thanks to advances in gas storage techniques.
It escaped the WWII blitz but demolition crews are using cutting equipment and giant cranes to bring it down piece by piece.
National Grid say the decision had been taken on grounds of cost and amenity - suggesting that locals would be glad to see it go.
But some experts believe the gasholder, and others like it, could be preserved and converted to be used for other purposes.
Gasholder expert Dr Ian West, of the University of Leicester, told of his concern at the rate of destruction of gasholders across the UK.
Dr West, a member of the Council of the Association of Industrial Archaeologists said: "Relatively few gasholders enjoy protection as listed buildings.
"This means that National Grid and other owners do not need planning or special consent to demolish them.
"The problem is that gasholders can be expensive to maintain. They have moving parts and need constant attention to ensure the structure remains safe.
"Also, the requirement for low pressure storage gasholders has been reduced and will continue to diminish.
"Historically they were used to store at night which was then used during day. Now National Grid gets most of the storage it needs by manipulation of the pipe network.
"Only in the winter are some of the remaining gasholders used to provide extra storage capacity."
Dr West said that nationwide a total of 21 gasholders are listed buildings protected or have some protection for their historic or architectural importance and the Dingle gasholder was not one of these.
Dr West said: "A handful are preserved on museum sites but for the rest it is often cheaper to demolish them than it is to keep them in place with the maintenance costs.
"Opinions are divided about whether gasholders should be preserved in view of the contribution the make to the landscape. People tend to either love them or hate them.
Dr West said the structures were important artefacts and unique features of town and city skylines.
He said: "I expect future generations will ask why so many of these fascinating structures were demolished.
"No-one would think of wantonly destroying a Roman aqueduct and there are real parallels.
"Ancient aqueducts are relics of industrial architecture from the past.
"I our age of high technology people already marvel at the engineering of the gasholders which were built in the 19th and 20th centuries."
Dr West said that in Ireland and Germany there had been successful schemes to put gasholder structures to new use rather than destroying them
He added: "In Dublin a block of flats has been build inside the columns of the gasholder and it makes for an interesting compromise.
"In Germany they have turned one into a performance space, but sadly these kind of alternatives seem to be overlooked in the UK.
"I would like to see some careful thought put into what is worth preserving intact and whether alternative uses can be found for many others."
Liverpool City Council has a plan on the drawing board re-develop the Beaufort Street site as a snowdome and leisure centre but it has low priority.
National Grid said that only the columns of the Liverpool gasholder were currently being demolished and the gas tank will remain in place at ground level.
A National Grid spokeswoman said: "In total there are three gasholders on the Beaufort Street site, each of a different design.
"They have all been decomissioned since they are surplus to requirements.
"It was felt that visible structure of the column-guided gasholder should be removed to improve the amenity for residents.
"Where gasholders are not needed for the supply of gas we demolish them, whenever it is and economical to do so.
"We are not aware of any practical proposals to convert or use gasholders for other purposes. We would consider any plans for alternative uses if they were made."
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