Formby beach: Nature reserve sand dunes blown away by storms

Sand dunes at a nature reserve have been blown away by winds caused by recent storms, the National Trust said.

Sand on Formby beach in Merseyside was shifted as Storms Dudley, Eunice and Franklin battered the UK in one week.

Sefton Council work with the trust to combat costal erosion and described the damage as "swift and incredible".

The National Trust said rangers were assessing the situation at the site, which is home to rare species of wildlife and conservation projects.

Formby beach has one of the fastest moving coastlines in the UK and storms can speed up the process of natural coastal change, the trust said.

The area is one of the last strongholds for rare natterjack toads and the rare northern tiger beetle, which is only found in Merseyside and Cumbria.

National Trust ranger Kate Martin said the storms would make the reserve's conservation work "more challenging".

The trust asked visitors to be mindful of wildlife as new dune cliffs form.

Michael Doran, who was walking on the beach on Monday evening, said the dunes had been "utterly destroyed".

"There must be at least 3 metres (9ft) of erosion with 1.8 metre (6ft) drops to the beach," he said.

Mr Doran added rubble was "everywhere" near the Victoria Road area.

Victoria Road car park has been closed and will not open until tree safety checks have been completed, the trust said.

Meanwhile Sefton Council said it remained "cautiously optimistic" about how the storm had impacted the recent Irish Sea oil pipe leak.

A spokesman said there were no confirmed cases of oil washed up on Sefton shores, but added the authority was closely monitoring the situation.

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