LONG-AWAITED work to protect eroding cliffs at Warden Bay on the Isle of Sheppey will start this spring, it has been revealed.

The Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) is forking out £865,000 for the scheme which will protect the cliffs north of Jetty Road and its junction with Imperial Drive.

About 240 metres of rock 'armour’ will be dropped by barges in order to reduce the rate at which the cliffs are eroding. It has been estimated that more than 30 homes could fall over the crumbling cliff edge in the next 25 years if the work is not done.

That could have led to a pay-out of more than £8 million in compensation and other costs.

Viviane Burke, one of the residents of Cliff Drive, said: "At least we can rest here now knowing that the cliffs should not erode any more once the works are completed.”

FULL STORY IN THIS WEEK'S SHEERNESS TIMES GUARDIAN