Dozens of seaside beach hut owners who were given a shock ultimatum to move their huts by the summer have been given more time.

But the New Walton Pier Company which owns the site at the resort's South Beach, has warned the huts still cannot be used in the summer

More than 90 hut owners were given three months notice earlier this year to move them and were told that after May 11 any huts left would "be presumed no longer required and removed and disposed of".

So far, a number of huts have been removed while others have been handed over.

But many people have found the deadline difficult to comply with.

The New Pier Company told owners that continual land slippage problems had meant major remedial work would have to be done.

Barry McGregor, group manager of Cinque Ports Leisure, which bought the Walton pier last year, said a start on exploratory work and possible drainage and tiering was not now due to start until October but said people would still not be able to use their huts.

And the New Pier Company has said there is still no guarantee the huts will be allowed back.

Beach hut owner Madeleine Fuller of High Street, Walton, said she welcomed what she described as "the unofficial stay of execution".

However she has already collected nearly 1,000 signatures and pledged to continue campaigning against the removal

Published Thursday, April 24, 2003

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