PHOTOS of the Wivenhoe barrier being built in 1995 have been discovered by one of our readers.

The barrier, on the River Colne, was built to help protect Colchester from tidal and storm surge flooding.

Mr Ronald Watson, 81, recently discovered the photos by chance.

“I had them in my drawer from way back.”

Mr Watson was a crane driver for 20 years and worked at the site when the barrier was being built.

He said: “It was a huge building site down there at the time.

“It was when they built the bridge across, there was a lot of workers down there.”