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Shock for owner as cliff edge house vandalised

Lance Martin A close-up of black framed two-pane window with both panes smashed, showing through into a room beyondLance Martin
Windows were smashed in the attack on the property

A house teetering on the edge of a collapsing cliff has been targeted by vandals.

The bungalow at Hemsby, Norfolk was moved inland for a second time by home owner Lance Martin 18 months ago, but in November he was forced to move out after he lost more of its garden to coastal erosion.

Its windows have now been smashed and graffiti daubed on walls in a "horrible and sickening" attack.

Mr Martin is currently living in temporary accommodation while trying to raise money to repair his home.

Andrew Turner/BBC Lance Martin wearing a dark green, knee-length waterproof coat and a blue beanie hat, with a close-cropped grey beard, looking away, with his hands in his coat pockets, standing beside a pile of old telegraph poles and behind him the sea to his left and a skip and a black timber-clad house on his rightAndrew Turner/BBC
Lance Martin, a former Grenadier guard, had to move out of the house after more of its garden was lost to coastal erosion

Hemsby county councillor James Bensley said the community has been left in shock following the incident, as reported by the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

"Our biggest challenge has always been the sea and erosion – we never thought vandalism would be a factor," he said

“Everyone knows how important Lance’s story is to Hemsby. To have this thrown into the mix is horrible and sickening."

Mr Martin said he had spent £15,000 on renovating his property since it was moved away from the cliff edge in March 2023.

He is to join the Sir David Ames UK Children's Parliament on Saturday for an "emergency cobra meeting" to discuss the wider problems of North Sea erosion.

Lance Martin A close-up of black framed three-pane window with the middle pane smashed, showing through into a room beyondLance Martin
Hemsby county councillor James Bensley said "acts like this are so disheartening"

The stretch of coastline has been badly affected by erosion and 20 homes have been lost in the last decade, with five demolished in December.

Residents have been told planned sea defences would not receive government funding.

In March, plans were revealed that could see home owners offered new plots further inland on which to rebuild their properties.

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