BEACH replenishment work has started at Christchurch to combat the damage caused by winter storms last year.

Two large excavation machines have been working at Mudeford to remove hundreds of tonnes of sand and gravel, in a bid to put beaches back to the same level as 2013.

The scheme is likely to cost £900,000.

It will be funded by the Government Recovery and Repair Grant in Aid, with a contribution from Christchurch Borough Council.

Initially, concerns were raised by fishermen and other harbour users over the plans to pump the sand from Mudeford Sandbank via a submerged pipeline.

But the scheme was amended over the potential difficulties in getting vessels in and out of Christchurch Harbour at low tide.

Officers changed their proposal to see a channel being cut through the western end of the sandbar, which would be buoyed to mark its location.

Sand and shingle will be dredged out of the 'ebb-tide delta' - sandbar - and an excavator will be launched from Avon Beach to the sandbar, to send the dredgings back to the shore.

The deposits will then be taken by dump trucks to depleted beaches and levelled by bulldozers.

Steve Woolard, engineer at Christchurch council, said: “Before we can start dredging we have to open up another channel to allow vessels to get in and out of the harbour, which is what we have been doing this week during the low spring tide.

"The actual dredging process will start next week.

"We delayed the start of the work due to a condition on the Environment Agency’s consent for it to start after May 15 to protect migratory fish which emigrate out of the River Avon and River Stour to sea between April 7 to May 15 each year.

“A number of other local authorities will be coming to view the work to see how it is being achieved.”

Short sections of the beach will be closed at different times to allow work to be completed.

Work will take place during daylight hours and nearby residents have been warned it could cause some 'noise disturbance'.

Efforts will be made to ensure the noise is kept to a minimum, contractors Earlcoate have said.