Work to save Doc Martin beach from disappearing

The breakwater helps protect the village from flooding

Work is under way to save the sand from a popular Cornish beach from disappearing.

Authorities said the beach at Port Isaac, the village made famous by its use as a location for the TV series Doc Martin, had experienced a lot of sand loss during recent storms.

The breakwater, which protects the village from flooding, is also deteriorating.

Port Isaac Harbour Commission said work had begun on reducing erosion on the beach.

A dump truck is driven through Port Isaac's narrow streets

The process involves moving large rocks from further down on the beach and bringing them to higher ground.

Sand that builds up towards the breakwater is also being brought up to the inner harbour before high tide.

Harbourmaster Tom Brown said one of the biggest challenges had been moving a borrowed dumper truck through the village's narrow streets without causing damage.

The breakwater in Port Isaac is deteriorating under storm pressure

Harbour commissioner Jeremy Brown said the work was an "experiment" to try and save the beach.

"There's less beach basically," he said.

"Every year we are losing more and more sand and there's more and more rocks being exposed.

"Our boats can't [be allowed to] go aground on rocks, so we need the sand to be at the top of the beach and not at the bottom."

The harbour commission has raised £60,000 through a crowdfunding appeal to complete repairs to the breakwater.

The project could cost up to £750,000.

Harbour commissioner Jeremy Brown said sand was disappearing from the beach