TWENTY years ago Professor David Bellamy was stood in a house on the east coast, which was about to fall into the North Sea.

Now, two decades later, the international environmentalist and television personality has seen first hand how coastal erosion has taken its toll.

Professor Bellamy was back in Tunstall, near Withernsea, after being invited to Sand-Le-Mere Holiday Park which has lost about 328ft (100 metres) of land since 1969.

Owner Anthony Ellis wanted to show Mr Bellamy the recently completed first phase of a £5 million project to expand the park away from the coastline – securing the site's future.

Professor Bellamy said: "It's very good news that this amazing park is being moved back to safety.

"The work they are doing is very environmentally friendly, which is very important.

"Caravan parks can be blooming with biodiversity and it's important businesses take steps to preserve this.

"More and more holidaymakers want to see more birds and flowers, just like their grandparents did."

In 2006, land behind the park went up for sale and was snapped up by Sand-Le-Mere, adding about 100 acres. The work done so far includes a new road, a 20-lodge pitch development and 2,500 newly planted trees.

Mr Ellis said: "This has been a paradise for holidaymakers since 1917. My family's livelihood was in danger of being taken away by coastal erosion, but we are fighting it as well as the recession.

"Sandwiching the resort between the coast and the countryside will secure the future of the park."

Links

Sand-le-Mere

www.sand-le-mere.co.uk

David Bellamy Conservation Awards

www.bellamyparks.co.uk