WORK has started to repair damage caused by the latest landslip at Loftus Bank.

A team of men worked for nine months to reshape the hill following a devastating landslide in 1999.

They removed unstable ground, and replaced it with clay fill.

The latest problem was identified in July, during a routine maintenance check. Repair work started on Monday and is expected to take 14 weeks.

Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council's partner for highways and street lighting, Alfred McAlpine, will rebuild the slope to a shallower angle by replacing the current steep clay fill with single-size stone.

The repairs are being paid for with a £500,000 emergency grant from the Government.

Traffic lights will continue to operate on the A174 while the work is carried out, and weekend road closures will be introduced towards the end of the 14-week period.

Coun Eric Empson, cabinet member for infrastructure, said the council's aim was to disrupt comuters as little as possible while repairs were carried out.

boel: "The council will clearly aim to limit disruption to commuters during the repair period."