A campaigner fighting for the right to maintain sea defences in front of a small community of clifftop homes will have to wait for a judge’s ruling.

Peter Boggis, 77, of Easton Bavents, near Southwold, has been at the High Court, in London, this week to challenge Natural England’s plans to allow erosion of the cliffs for scientific reasons.

Mr Justice Blair has now reserved judgment on the case, meaning there will be no immediate ruling.

Retired engineer Mr Boggis has used 250,000 tonnes of compacted clay soils to construct defences in a bid to save his and 13 other homes from slipping into the North Sea.

However, Natural England has made the area a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) so the cliffs can be allowed to erode naturally and expose stratas of soil and rock for study. This means Mr Boggis is currently legally prevented from maintaining the defences.

Story by Alasdair McGregor in the Eastern Daily Press