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A project to save a destroyed promenade in a seaside town is currently in the works. The 1920s structure, owned by West Norfolk Council, has been damaged by storms, with a large section now fenced off for repairs.

Contractors in Hunstanton started work on Tuesday, drilling test holes to check the size of the void beneath the path along the sea defences. It is hoped that once the void is found, it will be filled with concrete.

A sign has been placed to inform locals that work is expected to take two weeks, with the council hoping to have the pathway reopened by the Easter Bank Holiday weekend, commencing Friday, April 3.

The promenade was initially closed after a sinkhole near the bottom of the Green appeared on February 5.

Following surveys, a void described as the size of a single-decker bus was found beneath it. Now, millions of pounds are required to carry out long-term work to protect it.

The surveys also showed that other areas of the foundations are at risk of erosion after coastal currents washed sand and shingle away from the beach beneath it.

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Sheet piling will also be driven in at the base of the seawall, in order to stop further material from being washed out by the tide. The retention technique is required to prevent "structural failure" along sections of the defences in front of the Oasis, the Rock Shop ramp and North Prom, reports Eastern Daily Press

More than 300 of the panels that form the promenade's deck will also need to be replaced, as the 70-year-old concrete they are made of is deteriorating.

The council has said drawing up plans for the work could take up to two years, while the cost will not be known until a detailed design has been agreed.

It hopes it would be funded by the Regional Flooding and Coastal Committee, which allocates flood defence funds provided by the Government.

A report last year warned lower-lying swathes of the town could be at risk of flooding within decades if nothing is done.