A resident trying to save his home from plunging over a cliff edge has written to the Prime Minister calling for action.

Malcolm Newell has sent a letter to Boris Johnson asking for his assistance eight months after a huge collapse at Surf Crescent, Eastchurch, swallowed up a family bungalow.

Residents want the Prime Minister to take action

Mr Newell, whose house is just two doors away from where the home, called Cliffhanger, used to be, decided to send the letter to Mr Johnson after calls for help from Swale council, MP George Eustice, Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, and other ministers were "ignored".

In the letter, the 71-year-old said: "Our community, on the 31st May 2020, experienced a cliff collapse that consumed our neighbour’s home and has, and is still, affecting our homes in Eastchurch on the Isle of Sheppey.

"The local council has done nothing to assist us to protect our remaining homes since, nor has any other relevant party.

"We are disgusted with the lack of response and continuously being ignored. I am passing this to you in the hope you will be able to assist us."

Towards the end of last year, the council ordered the Eastchurch Gap residents to stop filling the sinkhole because it was concerned about the “ecological effect” the soil dumping would have on the adjacent site of special scientific interest (SSSI).

Mr Newell added: "All we want to do is protect our own homes and surrounding area from danger and continue the work at no cost to any department.

"We have received no help whatsoever from any local authority. We deserve to be treated much better than the way we have been treated so far."

When asked why he sent a letter to Mr Johnson, Mr Newell, chairman of the Eastchurch Cliff Erosion Community Group, said: "All we are doing is trying to save our own homes.

"If we were left alone to carry on filling the sinkhole and shoring up the cliff edge, we would have finished the work by now and we wouldn't be in the state we are in with the cliffs now.

"It's a sinkhole. Anywhere in this country, if there's a sinkhole it's filled up. Why haven't they done anything with it here?"

He added: "I'm ashamed of the whole system. Everyone we've tried to get help from has passed the buck so we're not getting anything done.

"There are three homes on the edge already and if nothing's done it will affect every single person in this area - there are 48 houses in this community.

"It will affect them because it will affect their property - they won't be able to sell it."

Mr Newell said he was still waiting to hear back from the Prime Minister.

Swale council has been contacted for comment.

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