Abersoch beach huts take a beating from waves

Some of the huts have sold for over £100,000

Beach huts more than 100 years old have been damaged by the driving wind and high tides that hit a Gwynedd coastal resort over the weekend.

Villagers in Abersoch said they had never seen the buildings take such punishment from the sea.

Fifteen of the huts, some of which have sold for over £100,000, were damaged.

Guy Williams, whose family owns some of them, said: "The sea was just like a battering ram, pounding and pounding the buildings."

He said his own huts had avoided much damage but others had not fared so well.

'Unheard of'

Community councillor Yvonne Lloyd-Jones said: "We've not seen anything of this scale before."

"The sea was coming over the breakwater in the harbour which is unheard of."

She added: "The question now is, do Gwynedd council know who all the owners [of the huts] are so that they can be contacted?"

In recent years the huts have been very popular to buy and have been sold for over £100,000.

A Gwynedd council spokesman said: "Approximately 15 beach huts in Abersoch have been affected by the significant reduction in beach levels caused by the strong winds and high tides that have hit this part of the Gwynedd shoreline over the past month."