A coastal engineer has reassured a concerned local resident over material used to strengthen the new beach access ramp at Happisburgh.

One of the few remaining householders in erosion hit Beach Road, Bryony Nierop-Reading, feared 'hazardous material' was being used on the ramp footpath and new car park at the village.

Engineers have been clearing the beach of shattered sea defences, and installing a ramp to enable visitors to get down to the shore where the beach and bay are evolving under a new shoreline management policy of 'managed retreat.' They are also poised to knock down endangered clifftop properties.

Mrs Nierop-Reading is vowing to stay in hers until the bitter end, but complained that the landfill for the new works contained 'copious amounts of dangerously sharp broken toilets and washbasins, broken tiles, broken glass, broken mirror glass as well as plastic, some sharp, rusted aerosol cans, electrical components and bones.'

It was dangerous and was likely to end up on the beach through erosion, she said in a letter to North Norfolk District Council.

The council's principal coast protection engineer Brian Farrow has replied that the ramp needed strengthening because dumper trucks were sinking up to the their axles.

The material had been compressed, tracked over and hand-picked since she first raised her concerns. Material was brought in because the work had to be done before the beach clearance - which retrieved debris for recycling - had begun.

The car park hardcore was up to industry standard and had been sieved, added Mr Farrow, who hoped his answers would allay Mrs Nierop-Reading's fears.

However she says she is still not happy, is considering taking the matter to the Health and Safety Executive, and has challenged parish councillors to walk the area barefoot.