WORRIED residents are calling for urgent repairs to be made to Dovercourt’s “dangerous” sea wall.

Numerous complaints have been made by dog walkers and beach users regarding exposed metal spikes and supports on concrete groynes, off Marine Parade.

Vanessa Williams, from Dovercourt, said her one-year-old son recently got his coat stuck on a sharp piece of exposed metal.

The concerned mother hopes to see repair work carried out before “someone is hurt”.

She said: “If it were summer and he had been wearing shorts and T-shirt, then he could have been really hurt.

“The beach is in a particularly bad way.

"When we were at the beach hut last summer, there was a huge chunk of metal just sticking out of the sand and the walls were in a terrible state even then.

“It is only a matter of time before someone gets hurt.”

Ward councillor Jo Henderson raised concerns over the state of the crumbling wall in June last year.

Councillors were worried it could take two years for repairs to be made and feared Dovercourt Beach could lose its prestigious Blue Flag award.

She has once again called for all urgent repairs to be made before the start of the main summer season.

Mrs Henderson said: “I think around this time of year the seafront starts becoming more popular and the wall is a danger.

“The metal is coming through.

"Every time this is an issue we do report it.

“The groynes were supposed to be done last year, but still are not finished.

“Tendring Council has said there will be a full inspection and action will be taken where necessary.”

Mrs Henderson was previously told by Tendring Council the repairs to the two groynes were programmed to be completed in 2017/18.

A Tendring Council spokesman said: "The council regularly monitor and clear any dangerous mesh which has become exposed to ensure that this does not cause a danger to the public.

"We are continuing to look at cost effective means of repair."