EMERGENCY repair work has been completed to protect Lymington harbour, pictured, from rough seas.

Work costing thousands of pounds was carried out to strengthen the wooden wave screen which has guarded the upper reaches of the river since the 1980s.

The wave screen stretches across the main channel of the harbour to stop the full force of waves coming in and damaging boats, moorings and pontoons.

It consists of a line of posts in the river with boards across them to withstand strong waves.

At a meeting of Lymington Harbour Commission, chairman Graham Butler, said: "We had quite severe damage to the wave screen in late October and it wasn't until we investigated it properly in November that we decided we would have to take quite drastic action and strengthen the existing wave screen, which we have done."

The work was carried out over three days by competitive tender and cost between £5,000 to £10,000.

The wave screen was strengthened using second-hand piles and, if they had not come on the market it could have cost twice as much, according to harbour bosses.

The damage was caused after the wave screen was exposed to a strong south-easterly wind.

Harbour chiefs said it was not a gale- force wind but was still enough to work the posts loose.

Lymington harbour is also given a great amount of protection by its salt marshes but they are being constantly eroded by the sea, as previously reported in the Daily Echo.

As a result the Harbour Commission is currently in talks to further strengthen its coastal defences for the future.

They are looking into commissioning an environmental study and the possibility of erecting rock groynes.

Mr Butler added: "It just goes to show how vital it is that we construct this harbour out of harbour defences because if we had a force nine or ten, it would have lifted the whole thing away.

Harbour master Alan Coster added: "It's really been beefed up so hopefully it will see out a good storm now."