You don't say where you live in the UK but if you have had a very hard winter this could be the cause. Very, very carefully scrape a tiny amount of the bark away with a finger nail and see if it is green underneath if it is then the shrub is still alive and could grow back; if it isn't then the shrub is probably dead - even then I would leave for a couple of months to see if it recovers.

Leave all suspected deaths until June before completely giving up on them. I once dug out a plant that I thought had died only to find lovely shoots just about to break throught the soil, but alas too late!!

That is true Volunteer

Welcome to GoY Judi, Have you any more photos for us to see. Good luck with your Pieris.

Thanks Pamd. I'm keeping my fingers crossed for the pieris.