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| Hemsby cliff-top homes start to collapse | Hemsby cliff-top homes start to collapse |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Houses left perched on a cliff edge will topple down the beach in the next few days, a council has said. | Houses left perched on a cliff edge will topple down the beach in the next few days, a council has said. |
| The 13 chalets on The Marrams in Hemsby, Norfolk, were evacuated at the weekend and are now "uninhabitable". | The 13 chalets on The Marrams in Hemsby, Norfolk, were evacuated at the weekend and are now "uninhabitable". |
| Close-up photos have shown parts of the houses starting to collapse, leaving rooms exposed and possessions strewn along the sand. | Close-up photos have shown parts of the houses starting to collapse, leaving rooms exposed and possessions strewn along the sand. |
| Jan Davis, from Norfolk County Council, said the "homes are going to be sliding down the dunes" within days. | Jan Davis, from Norfolk County Council, said the "homes are going to be sliding down the dunes" within days. |
| He said strong winds and high tides were forecast until Wednesday night. | He said strong winds and high tides were forecast until Wednesday night. |
| "As the sand dries out and becomes more powdery, over the next week the dunes will start to settle and adjust," said Mr Davis, head of resilience. | "As the sand dries out and becomes more powdery, over the next week the dunes will start to settle and adjust," said Mr Davis, head of resilience. |
| He said 15 people had been left homeless and advised them to "talk to their insurers and consider what options are open to them". | He said 15 people had been left homeless and advised them to "talk to their insurers and consider what options are open to them". |
| Widower Maurice Broom, 74, has watched his home - which he bought for £40,000 two years ago after his wife's death - partially collapse on to the beach. | Widower Maurice Broom, 74, has watched his home - which he bought for £40,000 two years ago after his wife's death - partially collapse on to the beach. |
| The retired construction worker said many of his possessions remained in the property and he was not allowed in to fetch things as it was unsafe. | The retired construction worker said many of his possessions remained in the property and he was not allowed in to fetch things as it was unsafe. |
| The entire bathroom floor, with the toilet still attached to it, dropped out of the home as the sand beneath gave way. | The entire bathroom floor, with the toilet still attached to it, dropped out of the home as the sand beneath gave way. |
| He said it "seemed sense" to buy the house as it was 70 metres (230ft) from the cliff edge. | He said it "seemed sense" to buy the house as it was 70 metres (230ft) from the cliff edge. |
| "It's disgraceful, upsetting, because that would have been my last home," he said. | "It's disgraceful, upsetting, because that would have been my last home," he said. |
| "I'd found somewhere, a niche that I'd never found before." | "I'd found somewhere, a niche that I'd never found before." |
| Mr Broom, who is originally from London and a heavy metal fan, said a treasured band T-shirt, which had taken him 10 years to get, was still in his washing machine in the house. | Mr Broom, who is originally from London and a heavy metal fan, said a treasured band T-shirt, which had taken him 10 years to get, was still in his washing machine in the house. |
| Photos have shown some of the timber bungalows just propped up by their underpinnings. | Photos have shown some of the timber bungalows just propped up by their underpinnings. |
| The crumbling ground has made it impossible to get demolition equipment to dismantle them. | The crumbling ground has made it impossible to get demolition equipment to dismantle them. |
| Eight of the 13 bungalows were permanent homes and the borough council has been organising emergency accommodation. | Eight of the 13 bungalows were permanent homes and the borough council has been organising emergency accommodation. |
| Lance Martin, who retired to his now-stricken £95,000 bungalow in November, said surveyors had assured him everything would be fine. | Lance Martin, who retired to his now-stricken £95,000 bungalow in November, said surveyors had assured him everything would be fine. |
| "But I don't think anybody could have forecast what was going to happen with the weather," he said. | "But I don't think anybody could have forecast what was going to happen with the weather," he said. |
| "I'm 60 and I thought I'd have a good 10, 15 years to see my life out." | "I'm 60 and I thought I'd have a good 10, 15 years to see my life out." |
| Hemsby Parish Council chairman Keith Kyriacou said the situation was a "disaster" and again called on the government to provide sea defences. | Hemsby Parish Council chairman Keith Kyriacou said the situation was a "disaster" and again called on the government to provide sea defences. |
| A petition to the government requesting sea defences has gathered more than 5,000 signatures in less than a day. | |
| Villagers - together with a grant from Norfolk County Council - raised £120,000 to put in partial sea defences along the beach in 2015. | Villagers - together with a grant from Norfolk County Council - raised £120,000 to put in partial sea defences along the beach in 2015. |
| Charles Beardall, eastern region area manager for the Environment Agency, said a permanent sea defence scheme would only protect a small number of homes and would be too costly. | Charles Beardall, eastern region area manager for the Environment Agency, said a permanent sea defence scheme would only protect a small number of homes and would be too costly. |
| "There are no easy solutions," he said. | "There are no easy solutions," he said. |
| The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs said local authorities had the responsibility and tools for managing coastal change. | The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs said local authorities had the responsibility and tools for managing coastal change. |
| It said it is investing more than £150m by 2021 on coastal erosion projects across the country. | It said it is investing more than £150m by 2021 on coastal erosion projects across the country. |
| "But it is important that local authorities lead on management of coastal erosion risk, taking the decisions that are right for their communities," a spokeswoman said. | "But it is important that local authorities lead on management of coastal erosion risk, taking the decisions that are right for their communities," a spokeswoman said. |
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