CONTRACTOR ASR has said it will return to work on the Boscombe surf reef in August, as revealed last week by the Daily Echo.

The firm confirmed it would be back to improve the wave and also replace a deflated sand bag.

The £3 million reef is only meeting four out of the 11 performance criteria, as judged by a Plymouth University surfing expert.

And it has been closed since March, when divers discovered a 70 metre long sandbag had emptied and detached itself from the reef.

ASR will get £55,000 of retained contract money to do the work, and another £95,000 if it is successful in improving the wave quality.

Nick Behunin, managing director of ASR, said in a statement issued by Bournemouth council: “We are pleased to have reached an agreement on the repair works for the Boscombe reef and that we will be able to start the improvement works at the same time.”

ASR has said the damage to the reef was caused by a boat strike. However Bournemouth council is awaiting a final verdict from its insurers.

Work is due to start in early August subject to weather conditions. The work to build the reef started in August 2008, but was postponed over winter due to bad weather.