East Devon District Council has been making emergency repairs to Exmouth's already-damaged sea wall ahead of Storm Ciarán.

Cracks reportedly appeared in the wall near the Sideshore development a few weeks ago, and last weekend "large seas and high tides worsened the situation", with large cracks appearing in the promenade and revetment wall, the local authority said.

With Storm Ciarán now approaching, the council is worried it could be damaged further or even fail entirely.

Since Tuesday morning (31 October) EDDC has been using heavy machinery to move and compact sand wrapped in "geotextile" to create a temporary barrier to lessen the impact of waves until the storm passes.

Sea wall damage (EDDC)

Councillor Geoff Jung (Lib Dem, Woodbury and Lympstone) said: "Some geotextiles will be placed on top of the sand and held down with large concrete blocks too.

"Whilst the operation is carried out, sections of the beach will need to be restricted.

"Following this, further assessments of the damage and the required repairs will be made, and medium and long-term solutions will be proposed.

"In the meantime, fencing has been erected to keep people off the affected section of the promenade.

"The situation will continue to be monitored and if necessary, the footway and cycle way may need to be temporarily closed."

SEE ALSO: Storm Ciarán set to bring strong winds, heavy rain