Letter: Shifting sands, building beaches

YOUR examples of the problems with rebuilding beaches from offshore ("Fake beaches wreak havoc on sea life", 2 August) presented an unbalanced view. Of course removing sand from beaches should stop, as should the destruction of coral reefs overseas to provide hotels with an adjacent beach. In contrast, it is better to add sand to the Lincolnshire coast (given its seaside settlements and propensity to flood) than to let it erode, or build further damaging sea defences. All that is required is to dredge the sand far offshore (10 miles or more) so that wave energies are unchanged and shallow-water ecosystems undamaged.

Keith Clayton

Norwich, Norfolk