No plans to 'abandon coastline'

Public meetings have been held to discuss the flooding option

The government has denied that it plans to surrender a stretch of Norfolk coastline to the sea.

Flooding Minister Phil Woolas said there was "no question" of surrendering the coastline from Eccles to Winterton if sea levels rise.

The flooding option was one of four being examined as part of research by the government body Natural England.

Mr Woolas added it was not possible to protect every part of Britain's coast at risk of erosion.

Public meetings

A number of public meetings have been held in recent weeks amid fears the villages of Eccles, Sea Palling, Horsey, Waxham, Hickling and Potter Heigham could be flooded if the sea was allowed to penetrate coastal defences.

Mr Woolas said the Natural England report had "caused some upset and worry".

He said in the Commons on Thursday: "There is no question of the abandonment of the nature that the article pointed to.

"The difficulty in this debate is that one area of coastline protection can have an impact on another.

"It's simply not possible to protect everywhere.

"One can never talk about not abandoning areas if it is nature that is the problem."