A �160,000 sea defence system is being put into place in north Norfolk in an attempt to protect houses on a coastal road.

Huge boulders are being put at the foot of the cliff in Happisburgh, replacing two rows of wooden fences installed in the 1950s.

However, Gary Watson of North Norfolk District Council warned residents of Beach Road the boulders were no guarantee.

But he said: "Doing nothing is no longer an option."

About 4,000 tonnes of boulders have been used

About 4,000 tonnes of boulders are now in place on the beach.

Mr Watson said of the new system: "It can offer some protection in the short term against average weather events - what it won't protect against is a major storm."

Storms such as those in 1953 and 1978 have eroded the cliffs badly, causing some homes to collapse over the years.

Mr Watson said: "It will certainly give them more security then they have at the moment.

"However, in the long term there's no answer just yet."