Stones have been removed from Laxey Beach by the Department of Infrastructure to help lessen coastal overtopping in the village.

Garff Commissioners has stated it’s been lobbying the government to undergo beach management for a long time due to the amount of damage that overtopping has caused the village in the past.

The local authority’s plan was to move stones to the foot of the sea wall in order to protect the structure.

Garff commissioner Melanie Christian has said the board hopes the department’s plan is successful.

Mrs Christian said: ‘We had Storm Debi a few weeks ago and a lot of the stones moved completely away from the north end of the beach to the point where if you walked down the steps to the beach there’s a big gap stepping onto it.

‘Local residents reported that when the waves hit the wall, it’s because of the void and the lack of stones. It was therefore compromising the strength of the wall.

‘The DoI has now decided to move the stones from the south end of Laxey Beach up to the north end to try and protect the wall and the road underneath.

‘The commissioners own the beach but the DoI own the wall and the road.

‘We are just making sure the integrity of the wall is kept safe.’