Work is beginning this week to repair some of the stonework damaged at Mullion Harbour during the rampaging storms earlier this year.

Mullion harbour sustained "significant damage" during the storms, resulting in repair costs likely to exceed £250,000.

This follows repairs carried out in 2012 totalling £95,000 and work carried out in the previous five years resulting in costs of over £300,000.

In 2005 the Trust carried out an extensive study that looked at the strength of the structure and the likely impact of sea level rise and increasing storminess on the long term future of the harbour walls.

The conclusion, agreed with a stakeholder group at the time was that it will continue to maintain and repair the harbour walls until a time when a storm or series of storms cause such damage that further repair is not viable and at that point further repairs would not be carried out.

Following detailed surveys this spring, the Trust considers that the breakwaters have stood up well to the exceptional conditions and whilst significant damage has been inflicted, the integrity of the structure of the walls is intact.

Alastair Cameron, general manager for the Trust said “After the Mullion Harbour study we spent a lot of money strengthening the walls to give the harbour the best possible chance of survival and this would appear to have worked.

"The storms this year were intense and incessant and whilst the conclusions of our survey nearly ten years ago still stand, we are pleased that the harbour has not suffered too severe damage this time”

Work begins on the main western breakwater this week and subject to further plans and consent work will continue on the smaller southern breakwater later in the year.