Crowds have been watching the diggers, as well as the ship’s pipe belching out pebbles, and the beach is to be replenished with more heavy stones.

Earlier in the year the EA announced that further work would be needed to bring it up to the standard promised in the original plans, after the shingle that had been laid was washed towards Kingsdown.

Andrew Pearce, EA area manager, said: “While they are essential, the works may cause similar disruption to what was caused last year at the start of the project, but this time we will only close half the beach at any one time. The work will only be carried out between 8am and 6pm and our staff will be on site throughout to do all we can to help keep any disruption to a minimum.”

Two sieving machines will move along the beach between central Deal and Sandown Castle while a small dredger delivers new shingle by dramatically casting it onto the beach.

Mr Pearce added: “This final stage of the project will ensure that Deal will soon benefit from the significantly improved flood protection that the scheme will provide.”

Tony Friend, of Park Avenue, Deal, recorded some of the work at Deal beach.