Work has started on a £6.8 million coastal flood alleviation scheme in Lincolnshire.

The flagship Lincshore scheme involves dredging sand from the seabed and pumping it onto the beach, replacing levels lost to the sea during the winter.

Around 350,000m3 of sand will be dredged from designated areas 20km offshore. Over the next six weeks, beaches at Trusthorpe, Mablethorpe, Ingoldmells, Trunch Lane, Wolla Bank, Chapel Six Marshes and Huttoft will all be replenished.

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This reduces the risk of waves reaching and overtopping the main sea defences, protecting them from damage and erosion.

Mark Robinson, senior coastal advisor at the Environment Agency, said: "The beaches take the brunt of the waves' energy, which would otherwise impact on coastal defences such as sea walls. Storms and large waves are more frequent during winter months, leading to erosion of the sand from these beaches.

"Replacing the sand helps extend the life of the sea defences – defences that reduce coastal flood risk to more than 30,000 homes and businesses, 19,000 static caravans and 35,000 hectares of land.

"Additionally there's an amenity value, benefitting and encouraging tourism on the coast, as otherwise there would be very little sand on our beaches."

(LM/MH)