Rising beach levels at West Bay mean work to remove a buried sewer has been paused, minimising disruption as lockdown restrictions ease.

Wessex Water had planned to remove the remains of a Victorian brick sewer and other redundant infrastructure at East Beach over the coming weeks, but GPS surveys have shown they are located much deeper below the sand than at the turn of the year.

As the pipework poses no environmental or safety risks, and the beach is in pristine condition, engineers will instead monitor the site over the spring and summer months with a view to rescheduling removal work later this year.

Wessex Water's Christopher Tucker said: "It's clear that the storms experienced during February have effectively raised the beach level by at least three metres.

"We managed to locate all the assets but removing them now would require deep digging and considerable disruption, which we feel is unnecessary at a time when the weather is improving and people start to have more freedom to enjoy the beach.

"Local knowledge suggests that 'sand dumps' tend to occur in the early part of the year and will not clear until they are swept away by Autumn Equinox tides, so we'll reassess the situation in late September."

The East Beach project is being carried out with Dorset Council, the Jurassic Coast team, Environment Agency and other regulatory bodies to help minimise any ecological impact.

A Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), the beach is now fully accessible along with a small section of the car park that was used as a works compound.

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