D-Day beach reopens in time for 80th anniversary

Remains of wartime installations can still be seen at Lepe on the Hampshire coast

Historical D-Day structures on the Hampshire coast are once again accessible following repair work to a storm-damaged beach.

Thousands of troops left from Lepe Beach in June 1944, and some of the structures had remained after the war.

Part of the beach was washed away during storms in April and it was thought it would remain cordoned off for the 80th anniversary on Thursday.

Hampshire County Council said it had reopened the area after a "concerted effort".

Lepe Beach was an embarkation point for thousands of troops and vehicles involved in the D-Day landings in Normandy on 6 June 1944 and evidence of the wartime installations can still be seen.

Concrete blocks on the beach enabled vehicles to be loaded on to landing craft and several so-called "dolphins" were part of the pier on which landing craft tied up while troops boarded.

Lepe also saw the construction of parts of the Mulberry Harbours which were taken to Normandy to allow troops and supplies to be landed.

Hampshire County Council said last month that part of the beach would remain closed after a "large section of material" was swept away.

Work to repair the beach was finished in time for the 80th anniversary of D-Day

In a statement, the local authority announced the beach had reopened in time for the commemorations this week.

"Thanks to concerted efforts, with the aid of machinery and a lower tide, our dedicated teams have successfully completed the clean-up and necessary repairs.

"Visitors can once again discover these remarkable features," it added.

Events to mark the 80th anniversary at Lepe include a beacon-lighting ceremony on Thursday and a D-Day Family Day on Saturday.

A memorial service is also due to be held at the country park's D-Day memorial on Sunday.

Concrete structures from the D-Day embarkations have remained since the end of World War Two (pictured in 2015)