A £1.5m project to restore an “iconic” breakwater has begun in Teesside which suffered a serious amount of damage where slabs were “tossed about like pebbles” during Storm Babet.

Whilst Storm Babet for many is a memory, the damage it caused is still visible at South Gare in Redcar, where concrete slabs weighing up to 50 tonnes were tossed about like “pebbles” during the “extraordinary” event.

Winds reached up to 115mph during the storm that rocked the UK in mid-October, which has led PD Ports, as Statutory Harbour Authority for Teesport and the Port of Hartlepool, to launch a programme of repair works to reverse the extensive damage.

The Northern Echo: Damage at South Gare.Damage at South Gare. (Image: PD PORTS)

Phase one of the repairs have already begun and saw four tonne bags of stone placed into the voids of the damaged slabs surrounding the listed lighthouse – which is one of the very few still operational in the UK.

According to bosses, work at the site is expected to continue into 2024.

Frans Calje, chief executive officer of PD Ports, said: “The conditions at South Gare during Storm Babet can only be described as extraordinary. The scale of the forces that hit the structure that day are hard to imagine – huge concrete blocks were tossed about like pebbles.

“I have to pay tribute to our predecessors and the workforce who built the breakwater at South Gare more than 150 years ago. It is an iconic piece of the Teesside landscape and a vital protector of our region's industrial platform.

“Climate change means that we will see more major weather events like Storm Babet and we are looking at our options beyond the immediate repair to see what can be done to strengthen the breakwater and keep it operating as it has done since 1888.”

The Northern Echo: Damage at South Gare.Damage at South Gare. (Image: PD PORTS)

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Jerry Hopkinson, executive chairman at PD Ports, added: “Our role as Statutory Harbour Authority is one that we take tremendously seriously and we are committed to protecting the gare, the river and its business community.

“The structure has taken a hammering, it was battered by the waves, but it is still standing and it is still providing protection to the river.

“We are prepared to do what is necessary to strengthen the gare and keep it functioning for many more years to come.”