Heartbreaking drone images taken from the air at Winterton show the flattened remains of its clifftop cafe - but also reveal just how close it was to falling off the edge.

The pictures, taken by Simon Taylor on Saturday, show a square of flat land where the Dunes Cafe stood just the day before.

Eastern Daily Press: Drone images taken on Saturday, December 5 of Winterton dunes, Great YarmouthDrone images taken on Saturday, December 5 of Winterton dunes, Great Yarmouth (Image: Simon Taylor)

On Friday, a digger tore through the building after storm surges earlier in the week brought down seven feet of material from the back of the cafe. The decision was taken to demolish it before it fell of its own accord.

Sightseers called it a "sad day for the village".

Eastern Daily Press: Drone images taken on Saturday, December 5 of Winterton dunes, Great YarmouthDrone images taken on Saturday, December 5 of Winterton dunes, Great Yarmouth (Image: Simon Taylor)

Erosion has been cutting into Winterton's dunes for 20 years, with Google Earth images from 1999 showing an added 50m of material between the cafe and the beach which has since been lost.

With the car park also clearly shrinking in size, borough councillor James Bensly has called for it to be "saved at all costs".

He said: "Losing that car park to erosion would lead to parking chaos in the village."

Eastern Daily Press: Drone images taken on Saturday, December 5 of Winterton dunes, Great YarmouthDrone images taken on Saturday, December 5 of Winterton dunes, Great Yarmouth (Image: Simon Taylor)

Eastern Daily Press: How the coast looked in January 2019 at WintertonHow the coast looked in January 2019 at Winterton (Image: Copypright Mike Page, All Rights ReservedBefore any use is made of this picture, including dispaly, publication, broadcast, syn)

Eastern Daily Press: Winterton dunes in 2018Winterton dunes in 2018 (Image: Simon Carter)

Eastern Daily Press: Winterton dunes in 2017Winterton dunes in 2017 (Image: Simon Carter)

Eastern Daily Press: The cafe and dunes at Winterton pictured from space in 1999 when some 50m of land separated the cafe from the beach. It was demolished on Friday.The cafe and dunes at Winterton pictured from space in 1999 when some 50m of land separated the cafe from the beach. It was demolished on Friday. (Image: Google Earth)