Hemsby road partially collapses on erosion-hit coastline

Police have cordoned off part of the road after it collapsed at Hemsby on Friday afternoon

A road along an erosion-hit coastline in Norfolk has partially collapsed after the area was battered by strong winds combined with the high tide.

Several feet of dunes in Hemsby were washed away overnight into Friday, undermining another part of The Marrams where several houses have already been demolished.

Amanda Goffin, a volunteer at Hemsby Lifeboat, said the road then "went in before our eyes" during the afternoon.

Police were contacted to cordon it off.

Dan Hurd, the Hemsby Lifeboat coxswain, said: "It's not looking promising for Hemsby - north and south of the Gap's been hit.

"Late last night we lost probably about 20ft (6m) to the north of the Gap and the south's now been compromised."

Ms Goffin, who had been out to The Marrams earlier, said: "One second the road was there, and then there was an almighty crack and the entire lot went all in one go and just slid away before our eyes."

This was the scene earlier on Friday after storms battered parts of the Marrams again at Hemsby

She said a number of cars were parked on one side of the road that is now inaccessible, but she said she hoped most people were notified in time to remove them.

"I hope we've got most of them off but if we haven't, unfortunately, they are now stranded.

"We're working alongside the emergency services - there is foot access but as for fire engines etc, nothing is getting along that road now, so we'd like to hope that perhaps residents will be moved if they're at high risk.

"Some of them are holiday homes, but some are still residential and they live there full-time and it's just very, very sad."