CLEVEDON'S multi- million pound flood defences have had to undergo emergency repairs following a vandal attack. The defences at Marshall's Bank, which were completed last year at a cost of £3.2 million, have had to undergo a series of repairs after hoolig

CLEVEDON'S multi- million pound flood defences have had to undergo emergency repairs following a vandal attack.The defences at Marshall's Bank, which were completed last year at a cost of £3.2 million, have had to undergo a series of repairs after hooligans removed some of the smaller rocks in a stretch of the bank and threw them into the channel.Contractors for the Environment Agency have been working to recover the stones from the channel and the river and are now concreting them in to ensure they are not removed again.The appearance of the agency just months after the scheme was completed had sparked concern from local residents who feared there was a problem with the new defences.But bosses from the agency have stressed the defences are up to the job and the contractors are only on site to repair the damage.Environment Agency spokesman Paul Gainey said: "There is nothing wrong with the flood defences and they are perfectly safe."A minor part of the bank had been vandalised and some of the smaller stones used were prized out and thrown in the channel."Our contractors have now fished these stones out of the channeland the river and are cementing them back into the defences to ensure they cannot be removed again."The agency is also replacing some larger boulders installed to stop people driving up to the sea wall.Bosses also appealed to local people to keep watch over the defences and if similar problems occur to report them immediately.Mr Gainey added: "If local people see vandals trying to remove rocks from the flood defences then we would appeal to them to become our eyes and ears and report the incident immediately either to the police or us.