COUNCIL engineers have warned that £40m should be spent to shore up crumbling defences to protect a town from damage caused by the seas.

Hartlepool Marina and The Headland Town Moor are under threat because of the poor state of the defences, they say.

Hartlepool Borough Council has been given Government funding to do some of the work. But experts said it is not enough for all the repairs that are needed.

They said in recent years the town has not seen excessive north-easterly winds, which can whip up huge waves. But if it does happen, it could cause extensive damage to the town.

The council's engineering manager, Alan Coulson, said that with the current level of protection, a huge wave could breach the Town Moor, and could even damage the marina.

Mr Coulson said: "There are two areas that are vulnerable. If the North Pier is breached, the wave could travel towards Hartlepool Marina.

"I am guessing the lock gates aren't designed for massive waves and, if they give way, the marina is there and there could be damage to it.

"The other area is the Town Moor. If it is breached, there could be an incursion there as well.

"We are talking a one-in-20-years storm, something very severe. I have been here 11 years, and it has not happened in my time."

The council has applied to the Government for grants to do the work, but has only received backing to repair the Town Wall area, in a scheme expected to cost about £1m.

Mr Coulson said the rest of the work would have to be paid for by the council.

As well as the North Pier and Town Moor, the Spion Kop Cemetery area and steps, ramps and promenades along the whole Hartlepool coastline have been identified as priority areas, where more than £40m needs to be spent to rebuild the sea defences and make them secure for the next 100 years.

But due to a lack of funding, council chiefs say they hope to spend about £8m to make repairs to a level to protect the town over the next 20 years.