SUMMER is coming but easy access to one of the borough's best-loved beaches remains barred after winter work to shore up a crumbling clifftop path slipped behind schedule.

Council engineers moved in on Valentine's Day to bring the steep and rugged zig zag track from Highcliffe Castle to the sandy beach below into line with current safety and disabled access rules.

The move followed a warning from town hall officers last summer following a spate of injuries including broken bones suffered by visitors who had tripped on the unsurfaced path which was created using the ledges of a previous cliff fall when the council acquired the castle site 30 years ago.

Work to provide a wider, flatter and safer access to the beach was expected to be completed within nine weeks and the path re-opened in time for the early summer season.

But May Day bank holiday visitors to the castle found themselves stranded on the clifftop faced with the alternative of steep and unevenly spaced wooded steps down to the beach or a hike to Highcliffe or Friars Cliff to use the easy access ramps at the Crow's Nest and Steamer Point.

And engineers admit they have a mountain to climb to have the path open in time for the next bank holiday weekend at the end of May.

Coast protection engineer Steve Woolard said: "This work proved to be more time consuming and trickier than was originally planned."

"It is important to remember that the work is taking place on the face of a cliff with access restricted to and from the site via the beach, therefore heavy plant operating on the slippery slopes have to take extra care and be mindful of site safety."

He said more than half the work was now complete and once the upper reaches of the path were finished partial opening of the path would be possible.

First published: May 11