More dunes washed away by sea, says lifeboat crew

Three more metres of coastal sand dunes have been eroded and washed away in Norfolk, a lifeboat coxswain has said.

Dan Hurd from Hemsby Lifeboat said a lot of the coastline had "disappeared".

More than 25 homes at Hemsby - including five cliffside properties last year - have been lost to the sea in the past decade.

Great Yarmouth Borough Council, which is responsible for managing the erosion, said the beach at Hemsby remained "vulnerable".

Mr Hurd said the erosion this week had created the "worst" drop he had seen from the dunes down to the beach - of about 12ft (4m).

"A lot of coastline has disappeared, we're not sure what's going to happen there," he said.

During Storm Darragh in early December, high tides destroyed the lifeboat team's launch ramp, as well as in October.

A council spokesperson said: "No properties have been affected, but it remains the case that the dunes and beach in Hemsby are vulnerable to continued erosion.

"The council remains vigilant and continues to monitor the situation."

The Environment Agency said it was working closely with the council on how to manage the coastline.

A plan for a sea defence berm stretching 0.8 miles (1.3km) along the Hemsby coastline - to protect the village from erosion - has been given a licence by the Marine Management Organisation.

The council, however, would need to find about £20m to fund it.

Follow Norfolk news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.