Seaside communities along the east coast of England have lost at least 183 homes to coastal erosion and landslides over the past 16 years, figures obtained by the Guardian reveal.

Coastal erosion is the gradual wearing away and retreat of the sea shoreline, which can destabilise cliffs and eventually force homes and infrastructure to be demolished before they collapse. While it is a natural process, scientists said the climate crisis was accelerating the retreat of the UK’s shores.

A GYBC spokesperson said: “Last winter, the dunes in Hemsby saw about 50% of the erosion predicted for the entirety of the next 30 years. More than 10 metres of land was lost in just over 12 months.