WORK to remove a Victorian brick sewer from a West Bay beach has been put on hold - as the sewer is buried deeper in the sand than originally thought.

Wessex Waterhad planned to remove the remains of the sewer along with other redundant infrastructure on East Beach over the next three weeks. However, the company's  surveys have shown that they are now located deeper within the sand than they were at the turn of the year.

As the pipework poses no environmental or safety risks and the beach remains in good condition, engineers will instead monitor the site over the spring and summer months with a view to rescheduling removal work later this year.

Wessex Water’s Christopher Tucker, who is co-ordinating the work, said: “It’s clear that the storms experienced during February have effectively raised the beach level by at least three metres.

“We managed to locate all the assets but removing them now would require deep digging and considerable disruption, which we feel is unnecessary at a time when the weather is improving and people start to have more freedom to enjoy the beach.

“Local knowledge suggests that ‘sand dumps’ tend to occur in the early part of the year and will not clear until they are swept away by Autumn Equinox tides, so we’ll reassess the situation in late September.”

The project is being carried out with Dorset County Council, the Jurassic Coast team, Environment Agency and other regulatory bodies to help minimise any ecological impact.

The beach and the section of the car park being used as a works compound are once again fully accessible to the public.