Delayed Portsmouth sea wall hole repairs resume

Large boulders have been shipped in from Cornwall

Work to repair a storm-damaged sea wall has resumed after bad weather delayed delivery of 4,000 tonnes of granite boulders.

A vast hole opened up in the wall behind the Pyramids Centre in Southsea, Hampshire, on Christmas Day night after storms.

After a temporary fix, larger rocks are being used to shore up the wall from the water's edge to prevent collapse.

The work was put back while the rocks were being shipped from Cornwall.

The boulders are being used to make a buttress to stop the wall from further collapse

The extent of the hole was revealed as contractors began work on the site

Placing the rocks, which weigh up to six tonnes each, and repairing the path above is expected to take until the end of March.

Portsmouth City Council said the cost of the work was estimated at £300,000 to £500,000.

The authority said it planned to submit a claim to the Environment Agency's emergency support fund.

Council leader Donna Jones said: "This part of Southsea will be subject to a complete re-build in the next two to three years.

"In the meantime we have to protect the defences we've got."