WORK to build a new wall between the beach and seafront road at Seaton is due to start on February 23 at a cost of £650,000.

Traffic lights will be in operation throughout the construction of the retaining wall, which is expected to take up to four months.

A 100-metre section of the sea wall, which was originally constructed to prevent sand drifting from the beach across the B3247, was badly damaged during the ferocious storms in January and February last year.

Large sections of the wall collapsed in the early hours of January 4 when high tides, storm force gales and mountainous seas hit the South East Cornwall coastline, causing extensive damage.

Further damage took place in more storms, the worst being on February 14 which has become known as 'ferocious Friday'.

The storms reduced the level of the beach by approximately three metres and has left the road with insufficient support or protection against further storms.

Temporary measures to protect the seafront have been carried out by Cormac teams who shored up the breaches in the wall and infilled where possible. Diggers were brought in to deposit 40 tonnes of large blocks in front of what remained of the wall to provide extra protection.

Cormac Solutions will construct the new retaining wall which will be made of 10-metre driven sheet piles with a reinforced concrete capping beam. Work should be completed by June. A new parapet wall will also be built to reduce the waves coming over the top and help to protect pedestrians.