SEVERAL feet of sand at North Berwick’s iconic West Beach have disappeared due to the recent bad weather.

The erosion, caused by the ‘Beast from the East’ snow storm earlier in the month and the ‘mini Beast from the East’ which followed, has again exposed a sewage pipe on the beach.

Bad weather had caused similar problems several years ago – only for the beach’s sand levels to naturally recover. It is hoped the same will happen again.

The sewage pipe has been described in the past as an “eyesore” and a turn-off to tourists.

Bill Macnair, a long-time member of North Berwick Community Council, told the Courier: “It looks terrible and something needs to be done.

I’ve been working on this for years and years – it is not a problem that is going to go away.

“[The erosion] could cause problems for houses at the beach.”

East Lothian Courier:

Similarly fierce storms in 2010 led to the pipe being badly exposed to the elements but, in the years that followed, Mother Nature ensured that much of the ‘lost’ sand was replenished.

A spokeswoman for East Lothian Council said they were monitoring the situation. She told the Courier: “The two storms caused significant erosion.

“We will monitor the situation and will consider possible remedial options when budget allows.”