A CONCERNED councillor has called for urgent seafront repairs and extended beach patrols in the wake of a teenager’s death.

Frinton and Walton town councillor David Oxley has criticised Tendring Council for failing to take action after he reported a “severely” damaged ramp on the seafront at Walton.

He said the ramp is used by the district council’s beach patrol team to deploy its jet ski or boat, but he fears the patrol’s effectiveness is blighted by several large holes in the structure.

Mr Oxley added: “Beach-goers walk down this ramp at low tide, children have been seen running up it. Some of these holes are massive.

“All it takes is a little slip, or for someone to get their leg caught, and we’re looking at a real problem.

“The beach patrol recently launched, but couldn’t get back in because of this damage.”

Mr Oxley added that he is also concerned about the current working hours of the beach patrol, following the death of Ben Quartermaine, 15.

Ben, from Clacton, drowned while swimming in the sea east of Clacton Pier in July.

Tendring Council runs the beach patrol service, with cover provided along Walton seafront throughout

the summer season from 11am until 6pm.

“It used to be 9am until 6pm cover every day - they used to walk along with life rings,” said Mr Oxley.

“Now if someone is in trouble at say 10am, there isn’t anyone there keeping an eye on the beach.

“It just needs someone to tell the kids to come away.

“We don’t want to see what happened in Clacton happen here.”

Tendring Council spokesman Nigel Brown said there are two ramps in the area of the beach near Walton’s patrol house.

He said: “One is concrete, there are no issues with it and it is in current use. The other is wooden, has been clearly fenced off and has not been used since it was damaged in a storm earlier this year.”

Mr Brown added that a decision about the future of the wooden ramp would be taken at the end of the season.

He said: “The operating hours for the beach patrol were set some years ago now and there are no plans to change them at this time.

“However, next month the council is having a meeting with other interested parties to look at what further safety measures could be brought in across the entire stretch of our coastline.

“All options will be considered and the outcome made public.”