WORK has begun to shore up a hole which appeared in the harbour wall in West Looe.

The hole appeared in a section of harbour thought to be 150 years old underneath the amusement arcade. Part of the wall gave way and collapsed into the river. The initial hole then expanded in size depositing further debris.

Concerns expressed on social media fear that a section of adjoining wall has a crack which could potentially go the same way.

A local contractor has started work to shore up the harbour wall on the West Looe side of the river. (Picture: Chris Kennedy/Photonaut)
A local contractor has started work to shore up the harbour wall on the West Looe side of the river. (Picture: Chris Kennedy/Photonaut) ( )

The pedestrian footpath between the harbour wall and arcade has been cordoned off by Cornwall Council.

Cornwall councillor for Looe East, Cllr Armand Toms, said: “The contractor started to place bags of stone along the wall to shore it up and across the collapsed part. This may turn into a larger job as the wall north of the hole has also moved.” He added that a previous section of the wall had collapsed in 2014 but was smaller in nature.

The current works by a local contractor are to avoid any further deterioration to the harbour wall which is thought to be 150 years old. (Picture: Chris Kennedy/Photonaut)
The current works by a local contractor are to avoid any further deterioration to the harbour wall which is thought to be 150 years old. (Picture: Chris Kennedy/Photonaut) ( )

A local contractor is helping with a short-term solution to prop up the wall and stop any further deterioration of the wall. They say a more detailed piece of work will need to be undertaken with a full design needed including commissions and technical specifications for work in a tidal area.