RESIDENTS of a South Hams village are calling on 'inept' authorities not to leave them to the mercy of the waves for the second time in its history.

A group of villagers have formed an action group under the name N2B – No second Betrayal – aiming 'to save the coastal village of North Hallsands from the sea and from the even greater danger posed by politicians and the Environment Agency'.

In 1917, most of the then village was lost to the sea in a big storm. Shingle from the bay had been dredged to provide material to build Plymouth docks, and a government report later blamed this for the catastrophe.

The story was immortalised in the book Sisters Against the Sea, by Ruth and Frank Milton, about the Trout sisters who lived in the village, and in a play, Edie, written by Linda Churchill and performed by the Dartmouth Players last year.

In Febuary's storms, extensive damage was caused to sea defences, a car park and a stretch of road behind the beach.

Residents claim 11 homes behind the beach, built relatively recently, are now in danger.

However, a spokesman for the Environment Agency disagreed, saying: 'We can't ask the Government for money for flood defences if no homes or businesses are threatened. If that becomes the case, we will act quickly.

'It's true that there is a policy of no active intervention on this stretch of coast. However, the agency doesn't have responsibility for coastal defences, only flood defences. Responsibility for coastal protection falls to South Hams Council and Devon County Council.'

South Hams Council said that responsibility lay with the county, which said: 'We're asking the Department for Communities and Local Government whether the reinstatement of the road at Hallsands qualifies for Bellwin funding.'

Speaking on behalf of N2B, Jonathan Hale, whose great-grandmother was one of those who lost their homes in 1917, said: 'I wish the district council, county council and national government would hurry up and sort themselves out. [Prime Minister David] Cameron promised that money was no object to repair damage from the storms.

'I want the county council to do its civic duty and repair its road as it did in 1996.

'Hallsands has been washed away once before by the hand of government and it looks very likely it will be washed away by government again.'

David Marcer, whose home is a short way back from the beach, said: 'This is a sorry tale of ineptitude on the part of the authorities. No one, national government, county council, district council nor parish council is prepared to accept any responsibility, still less do anything.

'I am fed up with hearing arguments about who owns the surface of the road, who owns the land beneath it and who should be responsible for reinstating the sea defences. It would be pathetic were it not so serious.

'The only effort being put in by the authorities is devoted to dreaming up excuses for inaction. More damage is happening with every tide. Hallsands is being betrayed again.'

MP Sarah Wollaston said: 'I'm distraught for the residents of Hallsands, I know families who are there who lived in the original village. It's a difficult situation, with legal impediments as Hallsands is designated no active intervention.

'Devon County Council has adopted the road but it doesn't own the land underneath it, and it doesn't own any land on which it could build a new road. I'm working with Devon to assist in restoring the access road and the coast path.

'Devon could make an exception under the shoreline management plan that states no active intervention, and I'm asking it to consider this.

'Ultimately, we need sea defences there, but we're hampered by the plan, and we have to balance the benefits of building a new road without sea defences.'

Julian Brazil, county councillor for Kingsbridge and Stokenham, which includes North Hallsands, said: 'As the shoreline management plan has designated no active intervention for this stretch of coast, Devon County Council is not taking any action at the moment. The council may decide to reinstate the road but that decision will be taken at a later date.

'In an ideal world, we would fix everything, but money's tight. My main priority is to make sure that fishermen can continue to work off the beach, and if that happens I'll consider that we've done quite well.'

'I can understand why the householders are concerned but at the moment most of the beach is out in the bay and it will come back naturally, which should give more protection to the homes.'

On Tuesday, property owners began to rebuild sea defences by replacing boulders that had been moved by storm waves.

Dr Wollaston added: 'I'm very keen to see action and help the community of North Hallsands.

'That's why I've arranged a meeting on Friday with representatives of the relevant organisations to try to move forward urgently on this.'