Saltburn beach: Damaged sewerage pipe repair 'more complicated'

Northumbrian Water has set up a "bespoke" water treatment works in a car park next to the leak

Emergency repair work to a sewerage pipe which shut a beach is more complex than first thought, engineers say.

A mini treatment works has been built to tackle a spill at Saltburn after workers for the council breached an underground pipe at Cat Nab car park.

Northumbrian Water said work to try to fix the damage was expected to continue into next week.

Redcar and Cleveland Council has put up a barrier and signs warning the public to stay away from that area.

People have been warned to keep out of the water, which runs from Skelton Beck to the sea at Saltburn, until the situation is resolved.

A team is digging five metres into the ground to try and access the pipe

The work is proving more difficult than originally planned due to where the pipe is located and the specialist fittings needed, Northumbrian Water said.

Its team is currently digging almost five metres into the ground to expose the pipe and assess what fittings are needed for the fix, which need to be manufactured specially.

"Work in the riverbed also needs to take place, which will require the watercourse to be dammed and diverted, and the team continue to work on the repair as a priority," the water firm said.

Engineers built a pop-up treatment works from scratch last Saturday to help "minimise the impact on the environment" from the leak.

Water supplies to homes and businesses have not been affected.

Northumbrian Water said the repair was "more complicated" than first thought