Bournemouth University has been commissioned to study the economic impact of the Boscombe Surf Reef but developments in New Zealand have raised more safety questions.

Experts have been asked by the Crown Estates to carry out the first detailed analysis of the reef’s financial effect, looking at a three-year period.

However the reef has been closed since March and the New Zealand press is now reporting safety concerns about another reef from the same company.

Director of lifesaving, Allan Mundy, said the Mount Maunganui reef is now creating two powerful rip tides.

“It has been a complete flop and not delivered what it was going to deliver,” he told the New Zealand Bay Herald.

“I would say it has been made unsafe to the unsuspecting bather.”

Bournemouth Council closed the Boscombe reef in March because the sandbags had shifted. Some surfers allege there are also dangerous riptides here.

Contractor ASR is due to return in the Spring and will get £55,000 for remedial work and another £95,000 if the work is successful.

The RNLI said they are not responsible for safety assessments but would “have a look” when the reef re-opens.

Debbie Payne, from Boscombe Spa Resorts Ltd, said the reef had not generated the hoped winter surfing trade.

But she said: “If the reef hadn’t been part of the regeneration, we would not have everything we have now. The seafront is now absolutely phenomenal.

“We have the best mile of beach in Bournemouth and we have watersports coming out of our ears.”

Last spring, Bournemouth Council estimated the reef had generated the equivalent of about £10m in publicity.

And the previous year council leisure boss Roger Brown said the complete seafront regeneration has boosted visitor numbers by 32 per cent.

Professor John Fletcher from Bournemouth University said the study would measure all spending where the prime motivation is the surf reef.