RESIDENTS have been warned to avoid an area of Bournemouth beach due to ongoing works.

BCP Council contractors are in the process of carrying out a timber groyne replacement project at Durley Chine.

The local authority said the working area is a construction site and should not be entered by the public.

Issuing a safety notice on social media, a BCP Council spokesperson said: "Public access is not permitted. Barriers and warning signs should never be ignored.

"They are there to keep you safe."

The local authority is in the midst of a 17-year plan to protect the areas coastline.

This work started in 2015 and involved replacing Bournemouth's 53 existing groynes as well as adding several new groynes.

The council said the life span of a groyne is around 25 years. They must be replaced periodically to ensure the coastline continues to be protected.

The process for removing and replacing each groyne can take up to two months.