400-year-old sea wall the biggest west Cumbrian storm casualty

"It is a real shame that the Old Quay has been damaged. It is too risky to send in engineers at the moment to assess the damage but we are aiming to repair it as best we can. It has been here in Whitehaven for hundreds of years and has really stood the test of time. We've been aware for years that should we get a strong north westerly wind like today the wall could be damaged as it was really slammed last in last December's storm. The commission have shut off access to the west pier to members of the public amid safety concerns. They intend to reopen it when the winds die down."