LIFEBOAT officials in Minehead have called for a ridge of pebbles blocking the entrance to the town’s harbour to be removed as a matter of urgency.


They say the ridge is now presenting a real hazard to both boats and beach users.


And, they say, harbour owner West Somerset District Council must make every effort to clear the obstruction before the holiday season starts.


The ridge has accumulated over the last few months as a result of the natural eastward drift of beach material and is now more than 10 feet high.


It has stopped boats directly accessing the steps at the end of the harbour and has now led to a build-up of mud and silt several feet deep.


Lifeboat crew members and coastguards have already had to rescue one elderly man who became trapped waist deep in the mud while trying to cross it.


A build-up of stones has been a perennial problem at the harbour mouth and regular clearance operations have been carried out.


But RNLI Local Operations Manager Dr John Higgie said the current obstruction had now become unacceptably dangerous.


“There is nothing to mark the ridge when it is covered by the tide and it could be absolutely lethal for any boat owner who is unfamiliar with the area,” he said.


“One of the local fishing boats has already run onto the stones but that was a fairly minor incident.

"Our worries are around what happens when we start to get visiting yachts again because their keels would simply be ripped off if they hit the stones.


“It is vital the harbour remains open and usable as a refuge for boats along this stretch of coast.


“Because of the natural drift of material from the cliffs to the west it has to be accepted that there is always going to be some sort of problem at the mouth of the harbour, though it can be kept in check with regular maintenance.


“But what we are looking at now is a major obstruction and the longer it is allowed to remain there and growing with every tide the more expensive is going to be the operation to remove it.”

West Somerset District Council have issued a notice to local mariners to alert those who may not be aware of the pebble bank.


It will also be posted on the Council’s website and A warning sign will also be installed on the harbour wall.


The Council cleared shingle from the harbour in April this year and deposited the spoil in previously used sites. Officers regularly monitor the site and will continue to do so. A build-up of shingle was noted in October and this has continued to increase. 


“The size and shape of the shingle bank is changing almost daily,” said Cllr Martin Dewdney, whose environment portfolio includes harbours.


“This year we have seen the most extreme tides in the Bristol Channel in two centuries and we have certainly not seen a build-up on this scale and speed in more than 20 years.”


The council is currently assessing the cost and effectiveness of shifting the tons of shingle at a time of year when high winds and strong tides could simply wash it back.