Pledges of help were today given to save Walton's crumbling Naze.

Coastal protection minister Elliot Morley was in Walton and Harwich today to see how a £30 million dredging project was taking shape.

Harwich MP Ivan Henderson , who persuaded Mr Morley to visit the area, said he would be working with Mr Morley to get help to save the Naze.

A total of 350,000 tonnes of material have been deposited at the Naze in a bid to hold back the sea.

Mr Henderson said he would be working to get Government help to protect the endangered landmark.

He said: "It is always going to be for the Government to fund sea defence issues. Central Government have their responsibility. Local government cannot take that on."

And Richard Howitt, Euro MP for south Essex, said he would also be looking for European cash to help cut erosion.

The dredging scheme will create a deep water shipping channel into Felixstowe Port. Material has also been made available to build one of three hard rock defence points to try to prevent further erosion at Walton's crumbling Naze cliffs.

The dredge of the Harwich Harbour will be of major commercial importance to the local ports. It is also being used to create lobster beds, a protection barrier for the Naze at Walton and for flood defence schemes in Jaywick and west Clacton.

Chairman of the Naze Protection Society David Gager said Tendring Council had carried out essential work at the southern side of the cliffs near the Naze Tower which protected existing sea defences but did little to halt erosion.

He said the northern part of the Naze, where the dredging was taking place, would help, but that a central hard point, costing £350,000 to £500,000, was still needed. Mr Gager said it was down to the Government to pay for such schemes and called on them to protect the historic site.

Geologist John Steer, who is a historian with the Frinton and Walton Heritage Trust, added: "I don't think what they are doing at the moment will have any impact.

"The current philosophy is to abandon various sections of the coast to the sea, particularly where there is no supposed financial value - but the sea comes in and sooner or later you will come up against something which is valuable."

There have been numerous calls for Government cash to help prevent more erosion but they have always been rejected. At one point Tendring Council had earmarked £500,000 to help but it never came to fruition.

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