A SUM of £78m needs to be spent in the next five years safeguarding the future of the Yorkshire coastline, according to a new report by engineers.

Much of the money will come from the Department of Environment, Fisheries and Rural Affairs (Defra), said John Riby, Scarborough Borough Council's head of engineering.

He told the authority's cabinet yesterday that strategic studies have been carried out at Scalby Ness, Runswick Bay, Filey, Cayton Bay, and on the stretches of coast between Whitby and Sandsend, and Holbeck to Scalby Mills, at Scarborough.

The work is part of the council's shoreline management plan which is currently seeing £33m spent on rebuilding the seawall around the Marine Drive and Royal Albert Drive, and the restoration of the 250-year-old East Pier.

Mr Riby said the biggest problem on the coast was its "soft" cliffs and their susceptibility to increased sea levels combined with bigger rainfalls.

"It means that robust action will need to be taken on an ever increasingly fragile coastline," he said.

Mr Riby added: "Coastal flooding and coast erosion is predicted to increase significantly over the next 100 years as a result of the impact of climate change.

"This reinforces the need for local authorities such as Scarborough to take such impacts into account in the design of coast protection schemes."

One of the biggest schemes, costing £6m will be to safeguard Scarborough's Spa Cliffs behind the famous Victorian Spa complex.