A 1930s seafront shelter in Frinton has been fenced off to protect people’s safety.

The Zig Zag shelter on the town’s Lower Promenade, at the end of Connaught Avenue, has been inspected by Tendring District Council (TDC) and declared unsafe.

Some of the metal posts are badly corroded and the shelter is leaning towards the sea, made worse by the movement of the cliff face behind it.

The fencing, along with a prop, will remain in place until a decision is made over the structure’s future.

Nigel Brown, TDC communications manager, said: “It is considered its condition is fragile and it presents a danger to the public and therefore it has been fenced off and will remain so.

“The council’s structures and development manager carried out a visual inspection last month and came to the conclusion that the shelter is distorted.

“The initial thoughts are that the shelter is beyond economic repair and is likely to need to be demolished.”

However a local architect has been contacted to come up with a sympathetic design should a replacement be built.

The shelter is owned by TDC and maintained by Frinton and Walton Town Council.

A report will now be drawn up giving a detailed look at all of the options for the shelter.