Storm Ciara: Dorset sand drift clean-up will take weeks

Benches along the promenade at Branksome Chine, Poole have been almost buried by the sand drifts

Tonnes of sand blown on to seaside promenades by Storm Ciara will take weeks to clear up, the council says.

About 11 miles (18km) at resorts including Sandbanks, Southbourne and Bournemouth is covered in sand about 1ft (0.3m) deep.

The drifts of sand were whipped up by high winds as the storm swept across England on Sunday.

BCP Council said it hoped to clear the resorts ahead of the Easter holidays.

The storm has left sand piled up along the promenade

The storm has dumped tonnes of sand along seafront promenades and car parks

Councillor Lewis Allison said: "Unfortunately Storm Ciara has had a significant impact on the seafront.

"Fortunately, storms of this severity are extremely rare but residents can be assured we will be working seven days a week to return the seafront to normal."

The deep sand means all toilets are closed along the stretch of seafront.