Ex soldier fighting to save his house from falling in the sea for the second time

A former soldier is battling to stop coastal erosion that would see his bungalow crumbling into the sea for the second time.

Lance Martin, 62, from Hemsby, Norfolk, is transporting tonnes of sand and rock in a desperate bid to protect his teetering home.

He moved to his dream retirement spot in November 2017 after buying the small bungalow for £95,000.

When he first moved in he had 40m of garden - but recent storms have pushed his cherished home to the brink of destruction.

Lance said: "This is my dream home. When I moved here, I could not see the sea from my roof.

Houses sit on the cliff edge on The Marrams in Hemsby, Norfolk where parts of the cliff have collapsed into the sea after recent bad weather (PA)

Lance Martin's home in the The Marrams is hanging over the edge of the cliff (Archant)

"If I see something that needs doing, I will go ahead and do it. I just don't see the end because it's a committee for this, and a committee for that."

Two years ago eleven nearby homes were evacuated and demolished in the aftermath of the 'Beast from the East' storm, reports the Eastern Daily Press.

Lance - who was was heroically able to move his home from the cliff face and effectively rebuild it - is now attempting to reestablish makeshift coastal defences.

Former soldier Lance Martin is battling to save his Norfolk home (Archant)

Lance Martin's home is the last one standing on the east side of The Marrams (Archant)

This week he started digging up and re-positioning coast protection rocks laid down seven years ago at the foot of the eroding soft cliffs - which are only 40m away.

Using a a mechanical digger, has has transported 40 or 50 huge rocks to form a barrier beneath the cliff face.

He hopes that the work - which still needs a stamp of approval from the borough council - will see him through this year's winter storm season, which usually rolls in through February and March.

Huge rocks now sit at the base of the dunes protecting Lance Martin's home (Archant)

He will likely be asked to fill in any deep pools that are created.

So far, he estimates that he has spent £100,000 attempting to save his cherished bungalow.

The father-of-one, who lives at the property with his partner Vicki, previously said he moved to the area because he was a keen bird spotter and nature lover.

Lance, who served in the British Army from 1978 to 2000, said: "It's my home. I retired to come and live down here and spend the rest of my days here.

"I love the wildlife. It is just a beautiful area and the people are fantastic.

"I have spent over £100,000 but it has been worth it."