Renewed calls for permanent sea defences at Hemsby after more erosion

There are continuing calls for better sea defences at Hemsby - after more of the coastline near the Norfolk village was lost to the sea over the weekend.

Up to 4 metres of the beach was the latest to go.

There's already a temporary rock barrier in place at the popular holiday destination, but plans for a permanent defensive barrier will need £15m in funding.

Daniel Hurd is from Hemsby Lifeboat - which has been left to clear up the beach: "We shouldn't be doing this work.

"We should just be focussing on saving lives at sea and on the Norfolk Broads - this is not what a lifeboat crew should be doing.

"We've got a lot of support from local traders, thanking us...

"If we weren't doing this, no one would do it and the beach would be permanently shut."

He continued, saying the area deserves to be protected: "Hemmsby brings in £88 million a year in tourism, but no one's going to come if there's no beach.

"People come to Hemsby for golden sand and because of how nice it is, but at the moment it's like a disaster zone."

Daniel told us there are concerns more homes are at risk of being lost to erosion: "There's a lady, Mandy, who's in the last property to the North, and she has about 2-3 metres left.

"Once that starts drying out she'll probably have a lot less too, because it'll start sliding.

"I feel for her because she has to sleep at night thinking 'What's next?'

"It's an awful situation."

He explained it's not just houses at risk, but the lifeboat station too: "We're worried... we've got a bit that's quite vulnerable on the carpark with about 4 metres left.

"If that goes over the winter, the sea will come round the back of the lifeboat shed - meaning big problems for us and the traders... "That could wipe out the shed and the café attached to it."

Daniel wants the local authorities to step up: "They need to get so,ething done now - not wait until the winter when this hits us and causes even more damage.

"We need to get a permanent sea defence or a rock berm on the beach before winter."

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