Access to the cliffs was restricted following chalk falls in the area

The Undercliff Walk closed in 2001 when part of the cliff collapsed. Repairs got under way and the path could soon reopen, subject to risk assessments.

Councillors were considering reopening the path at a meeting on Wednesday.

Councillor Gill Mitchell said work had been "difficult and delicate due to the area being a site of special interest". Walkers had protested at the closure.

But Ms Mitchell said the work had gone on to win an award from the Institute of Civil Engineers.

She explained: "Fossils of mammoth, woolly rhino and hippos have been found there, so works couldn't be carried out in the normal way and extreme care had to be taken."

The whole of the cliffs from Brighton to Saltdean will be carefully monitored and surveyed every six months by a team of geologists.