A seafront facelift that was meant to last up to 20 years is showing its age after just four.Millions of regeneration money was pumped into Great Yarmouth's Golden Mile aimed at giving it a modern new look.

A seafront facelift that was meant to last up to 20 years is showing its age after just four.

Millions of regeneration money was pumped into Great Yarmouth's Golden Mile aimed at giving it a modern new look.

But contractors this week were poised to move in for a bit of botoxing to make it look more attractive to visitors and locals.

Norfolk County Council spokesman John Birchall said wear and tear and Yarmouth's sandy foundations were being blamed for the premature ageing but that overall the work was not up to standard.

Contractors were being called back he added to repair the damage and ensure longer-lasting materials were used.

“It does not cost the tax payer but it does cause inconvenience,” he said.

“The real difficulty all over Yarmouth is that it is built on a sandbank. There is very little really good solid ground and we get problems with subsidence.

“There was some repair work last year and we are having to revisit it again, particularly at the crossing tables that take a pounding from traffic. But they should have lasted longer. So they are trying to use a different technique to give it a longer life.

“The resurfacing is between Euston Road and St Peter's Road roundabout - that stretch has not lasted as well as it should and tests have shown it's not up to standard. That is going to be re-done and that will take five days from May 17. It has suffered during the winter and we need to get this done before the summer season starts.

“The specification for the materials is absolutely critical. If something goes wrong, you see the consequences. It's only lasted around four years and it should have lasted between 15 and 20 years.”

“At the moment it's not good in terms of ride and looks a mess. What we do not want is for it to start permanently deteriorating. If for whatever reason work does not stand up the county council insists it is done properly and usually contractors are perfectly willing to do it because it is their reputation that is on the line.”

The work will include a trial of a different surface finish on one crossing to see whether it lasts longer.

The resurfacing is programmed for five days. To keep the timescale to a minimum the contractor will be working from 7am to 7pm. Access along Marine Parade will be maintained at all times, and the contractor will use stop/go boards to help keep disruption to a minimum.