A digger is piling up boulders at the foot of Hopton cliffs, as £500,000 defence work begins.

Eastern Daily Press: Coastal erosion by Hopton Holiday Village. Photo: Mike PageCoastal erosion by Hopton Holiday Village. Photo: Mike Page (Image: Archant)

The work - shoring up steel and timber revetments with 5,000 tonnes of rock - started this morning.

It comes days after a section of cliff collapsed, forcing three caravans to be moved away from the edge at Hopton Holiday Village.

They were the first of 80 privately-owned sea-view caravans to be affected, as the ongoing erosion problem worsens.

Emergency sea defence work was agreed between holiday park owners Bourne Leisure - stumping up £300,000 - and Great Yarmouth Borough Council - contributing £200,000.

Rock will be used to shore up the steel and timber revetments, which soften the impact of waves on the base of the cliffs.

The action comes a week after Bourne Leisure publicly blamed the outer harbour for erosion damage, producing a 500-page report claiming the structure has affected tidal flow.

But bosses at Eastport UK refute this, and claim erosion has happened naturally for decades.