A pic I took of coastal erosion in North Norfolk last summer

It’s not just immigrants who are vanishing, our unprotected coastline is too. Towns and villages could be at risk, warns Suffolk MP John Gummer. We will soon be Little Britain – literally!

Today’s East Anglian Daily Times carries a very worrying and thought provoking report on coastal erosion.

It says that every year, more than 3ft of the East Anglian coast is being lost to the sea – and some stretches of land is disappearing at an even faster rate. The number of exposed properties is rising every year.

In heavy storms, as much as 30ft of cliffs have been washed away in one single tide. With global warming and rising sea levels, experts predict the impact will increase further.

While the Environemnt Agency says an average of 3.3ft is being lost every year, it admits that in some causes the loss is much greater.

But how can this problem be tackled when there is so much passing the buck?

I didn’t realise that when coastal erosion involves crumbling cliffs, it is no longer the responsibility of the Environment Agency, but comes under the control of the local authority.

That’s why anxious residents, landowners and politicians have been calling for one organisation to have overall control – but no decision has been announced by the government in how our sea defences are handled.

This is naturally causing great concern to those who live and work nearby and can see with their eyes the continuing extent of erosion.

One resident believes a staggering 14 metres is being washed away from part of the unprotected shoreline in one year.

John Gummer, a Suffolk MP and president of Suffolk Coast Against Retreat, warns:

“If we do not protect the coast it will get worse and worse. Towns and villages are threatened.

“The current policy of neglect, dressedup as managed retreat, is not acceptable.”