CONSERVATIONISTS seeking to save sea views from Scarborough's Marine Drive by raising the roadway have been told it could cost as much as £5m.

Eileen Bosomworth, the leader of Scarborough Borough Council, said the scheme, to improve views following the building of sea defences, could not be justified or funded by the authority.

She said the scheme had been approved by the Government and some of the world's leading marine consultants.

It involves shipping thousands of tonnes of rock armour across the North Sea from Norway and building new sea defences using interlocking concrete blocks.

It is hoped the scheme will safeguard the future of the century-old Marine and Royal Albert drives, which link the North and South Bays around the headland of the Norman castle.

The £33m project also involves strengthening the 250-year-old East Pier, which has also shown signs of structural defects after generations of pounding by the sea.

Councillor Cecil Ridley, a member of marine conservation group The Sons of Neptune, said that experts had estimated the extra cost could be just over £1m.

He also said that the money would be well spent to safeguard the views, which attract tourists from all parts of Yorkshire.

Coun Bosomworth said raising the road had been considered, but that the Government said it could not fund it because it was not an integral part of the sea defences.