Buck Beck Beach Bench in Cleethorpes rebuilt after storm damage

A team of volunteers rebuilt the community bench, led by Nick Albion

Work has started to rebuild a popular bench on Cleethorpes beach made of driftwood, after it was destroyed by storms and high tides.

The Buck Beck Beach Bench, off Meridian Road, had only just been rebuilt after a suspected arson attack in 2023.

Volunteers met at the site to help, and it was led by Nick Albion who helped to create the original in 2015.

"Each time mother nature takes it away, we have to come back and put it back together," he said.

"Each one has been slightly different. It's very organic, you'll never see the same bench twice."

It had recently been destroyed by high tides and stormy weather

The bench is built on the sand and made from wood tied together with rope.

Many people leave painted stones or mementoes and it has become a popular place for locals to visit.

Mr Albion said he started building it with his father-in-law "just to have a seat".

"It seemed to grow organically from there by people visiting and it seemed enough like a seat for it to be sat on," he said.

"More people came and they needed more bench to sit on, so it grew and grew and grew.

"It means different things to different people, it's all part of the community.

"To me, it's somewhere where I sit with my father-in-law, to others it's somewhere where they proposed, and for others, it's where they have scattered their dogs' or loved ones' ashes."

John Clark, who came to help, said he used to walk on the beach with his late wife.

The team said they would put in place a basic bench which people could add to

"When it burnt down it was very sad, that was just after she died," he said.

"Lots of people leave stones, mementoes, little plaques.

"We will bring some more stones and we will rebuild it, it won't disappear."

Lorraine Trelfa recently moved to the coast from Leeds, and said she has always found the bench a relaxing spot.

She said: "We wondered how it had been built. Then we started reading all the things people had put here. It was such a nice place to sit and contemplate the tide.

"When I heard the tide had taken it away, I wanted to help."

Mr Albion said they would build a "very basic, rudimentary bench", and people could come and add their own things to it.