Clear up operation at Seaton after council and privately owned beach huts are smashed or washed away

Council chiefs have been counting the cost of last week’s storms which brought havoc to Seaton seafront.

A number of beach huts along the West Walk sustained substantial damage and some were washed away.

Only huts one to 13, owned and rented out by East Devon District Council were undamaged. The remaining huts, including council-owned and privately-owned ones, are either damaged or missing.

Members of East Devon’s StreetScene team have been clearing away debris and assessing the damage.

During the gale council staff removed personal items from the damaged huts to a store behind West Walk toilets. These have since been collected by their owners.

A spokesman said that by the weekend, all damaged huts had been cleared and debris stacked in piles. A clear walkway down the prom has been made, but there was still a significant amount of shingle on the promenade. EDDC staff will wait until the current round of storms has subsided before clearing away all the debris and shingle.

The spokesman added: “With more storms expected, all remaining hut owners have been advised to take their belongings away for safe keeping.”