A RETIRED man trying to protect his coastal hamlet from the North Sea in defiance of the local authority has resumed a DIY sea defence scheme.Peter Boggis has already deposited 28,000 tonnes of material in front of the cliffs at Easton Bavents, north of Southwold, since 2002, but was stopped by Waveney District Council a year ago.

A RETIRED man trying to protect his coastal hamlet from the North Sea in defiance of the local authority has resumed a DIY sea defence scheme.

Peter Boggis has already deposited 28,000 tonnes of material in front of the cliffs at Easton Bavents, north of Southwold, since 2002, but was stopped by Waveney District Council a year ago.

The council asked him to apply for planning permission and to carry out an environmental impact assessment for his work, but Mr Boggis has claimed that this is not necessary under European Law.

However, he has resumed his campaign to protect the 14-home hamlet by using bulldozers to deposit shingle from the beach at the base of nearby cliffs over the past month.

Mr Boggis believes the Coast Protection Act 1949 allows him to carry out this transferral of shingle from the beach to the foot of the cliff. He said: "The council say I cannot avail myself to this Act but they have never proved that.

"Bulldozers are in place to add additional shingle to the base of the cliffs. I am endeavouring to protect properties adjacent to the cliffs and this work is stopping the cliff top from falling over. I have piloted this scheme over the last four years and it has proved successful and very effective."

He is also impatient to resume the major project of importing 122,000 tonnes of inert waste material to spread along the 1km coastline of Easton Bavents.

He recently rejected the council's offer to present his case to an independent barrister because it was subject to him abiding by the decision.

He said: "I cannot say I can accept the barrister's opinion before knowing its content but I would consider the barrister's opinion if it was available.

"I haven't heard anything further from Waveney but it is important that we should be able to start work with their co-operation as quickly as possible otherwise the work may inconvenience visitors to Southwold during the Spring holidays."

He is currently making a path along the bank made by the deposited waste material for people to walk along when machinery is not in use because the area is still extremely dangerous in flood conditions.

No one from the council was available to comment on the issue of the transferral of shingle yesterday.