Dredging work in West Bay is expected to get underway this week and is set to be completed by Easter.

The vessel which has been used for dredging work in Lyme Regis was due to have completed its work there last week and is expected to be in position in West Bay harbour tomorrow (Tuesday), depending on the weather.

The Lyme Regis dredging operation, which started in early March, will be completed by mechanically re-profiling the town beach, using material which has been taken from the harbour.

Dorset Council Harbour Advisory Committee chairman, Cllr Mark Roberts, said he was sure that Lyme Regis Town Council would be pleased that the operation there had finished in time for the start of the main tourism season.

There have been complaints from the resort in the past that the work had not even been started, let alone finished, by Easter.

In a report to councillors, harbourmaster for both towns, James Radcliffe, said that the Lyme pontoons had been maintained over the winter and were now ready to go back into the harbour – another weather-dependent operation.

He also reported that a start date was still awaited for building work on the new harbour store and fishermen's building, with the harbour team now using containers in the slipway area, having vacated the building previously leased to them by the town council.

Mr Radcliffe said that at West Bay, the harbour wall continued to be monitored with a report expected soon on any works which might be needed, and that the piling operation in the east basin was nearing completion.