Demolition workers tear down the first of five clifftop homes in the village of Hemsby, Norfolk (Picture: PA)
Five clifftop homes at risk of falling into the sea because of coastal erosion are being knocked down.
A decision has been taken to demolish the five homes in Hemsby, Norfolk, by Great Yarmouth Borough Council, and work started this morning.
The decision has been taken by the council, alongside the home owners, because the homes are ‘not structurally sound and are unsafe’.
It comes after high tides and strong winds destroyed a stretch of private access roads to the homes last month.
The work will be carried out over four days because the tide means demolition can only happen over a few hours each day.
Wrecking machines are carrying out the work from the beach due to loss of access on the road.
Members of the public are urged to stay away from the beach while work is carried out.
Simon Measures, chairman of Save Hemsby Coastline, said: ‘It’s a day-to-day strain. I, along with everybody else, we live on weather reports.
‘If someone tells us there’s going to be high winds we really panic.’
There has been ‘talking, crying and shouting’ locally, he added.
‘We feel like we’re being picked off one by one,’ Mr Measures said. ‘Our life savings are in these buildings.’
He like many other locals is calling for sea defences to be built which he said would protect 1.3km and dozens of homes – at a cost of £20 million.
Carl Smith, leader of Great Yarmouth Borough Council, previously said: ‘While we have known for some considerable time that more properties were at risk from erosion, this remains an extremely difficult time for those people who are losing their homes.
‘Our thoughts are with those affected and our staff have been working hard to provide support and welfare for those who need it.
‘Unfortunately, continued erosion on this stretch of coastline is inevitable and we are working hard with our partners and other agencies to work out how we best adapt to the changing shape of our coast in the coming years.’