Cliff edge home demolished over safety fears

Demolition on the property in Hemsby began on Saturday morning

A woman's home perched on the edge of a large sand dune has been torn down due to the risk of it falling into the sea.

A demolition team on behalf of Great Yarmouth Borough Council (GYBC) arrived at Hemsby, Norfolk on Saturday morning.

The property was the last on a vulnerable section of coastline where five homes had to be demolished earlier this year as a result of erosion.

Since the start of October at least 1.8m (6ft) of the Hemsby dune has been lost to the sea and there are concerns that storms over the winter months may cause further erosion to the coastline.

Earlier in the week, a spokesperson for GYBC said it was "in discussion with the property owner in relation to potential demolition" and that it had "offered all the appropriate support at this difficult time".

Two weeks ago the home on the Marrams, to the north of Hemsby Gap, lost its garden shed during high tides.

Demolition has begun on the property which lies close to Hemsby Gap

Daniel Hurd, coxswain of Hemsby's independent lifeboat, said he had spoken to the homeowner who is "heartbroken" at losing her home.

"It's very sad for her and very sad for the crew to be here watching this happen. It's not nice for anyone."

Residents in Hemsby were recently told the village did not qualify for "sufficient government funding" to allow a proposed sea defence scheme to progress.

It is thought the original £15m needed for the project, which was granted planning permission, had risen to about £20m due to inflation.

A statement by the Conservative MP for Great Yarmouth, Sir Brandon Lewis, along with local authorities, warned that Hemsby faced the "inevitable situation of losing more properties", including a private access road leading down to the beach.

Residents told BBC Radio Norfolk that they "felt abandoned".

A banner was put up by residents in Hemsby calling on authorities to take action on erosion

In March, about 2,000 tonnes of granite was placed along a 262ft (80m) section of cliff in an emergency attempt to protect the area, at a cost of £735,000.

Last Friday, residents in Hemsby were told to be prepared for large waves and strong winds caused by Storm Babet, which caused devastation across parts of England.

The village suffered relatively little damage.