Winterton coastwatch tower dismantled due to erosion threat

The Coastwatch tower at Winterton has been dismantled and will be relocated inland

A watchtower threatened with collapse by the ravages of the sea has been dismantled and moved into storage.

Volunteers with Winterton-on-Sea Coastwatch in Norfolk have kept an eye on the coast from the lookout for the last 17 years.

The tower has now been decommissioned despite plans to move it to a less vulnerable position further inland.

"The area won't have emergency cover now until we get something sorted out," said controller Roger Rolph.

"It's a very sad day. The team is standing down for now but we're looking for a suitable site to start again."

The watchtower has been dismantled by crane and moved into storage until a new site is found

The Coastwatch service in Winterton had 14 volunteers, who staffed the tower 365 days a year.

Their job involved monitoring and logging marine traffic - and keeping watch over beachgoers and swimmers.

Mr Rolph, who has volunteered for 14 years, said the team worked closely with HM Coastguard and the area's lifeboat services.

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He said about 70m (230ft) of land had been lost within four months alone, and the building was now about 35m (115ft) from the edge.

"Back in October I thought we had about two years until we needed to think about moving," he said.

"Then between October and November we lost 80-90m, which started a panic. We knew we were looking at more like two months.

"It became a priority to move it."

Volunteers used the watchtower to monitor and log marine traffic off the coast at Winterton

The Coastwatch team used to operate from a simple hut in 1865

The team now wants to raise £10,000 for another site, but until then the tower and its contents, as well as two adapted containers and the antennae, have been placed in storage in nearby Scratby.