Blackpool sea defences 'protected 600 properties'

The £100m defences, consisting of a large wall and a smaller second wall, were completed in 2011

Blackpool's sea wall protected more than 600 properties from flooding during recent storms, a report said.

The £100m defences, completed in 2011, replaced 3.2km of old defences between the North and South Piers, protecting a popular section of the Golden Mile.

The area was hit by strong winds in February and high tides in December and January.

Blackpool Council said sea defences were only significantly breached twice during the winter weather.

'Too extreme'

In its report, the council described weather conditions in December and January as a "one in 200-year storm".

The Met Office issued a rare "red warning" for high winds in the area during February

Fred Jackson, the council's cabinet member for urban regeneration, said: "While the defences have done exactly what is expected of them, this collection of storms had been too extreme for anyone to completely protect against.

"However, had it not been for the new sea defences, the impact could have been much, much worse."