Work to prevent water from the river surfacing on a Pembrokeshire beach will begin today with an investigation into the cause of the breach.

Natural Resources Wales (NRW) is starting emergency exploratory works on a breach to a main river culvert in Tenby today, Thursday, March 14.

Contractors aim to prevent water from the Afon Ritec from surfacing on South Beach, a situation that presents risks to the beach's ecology, public health and safety, and could lead to increased flood risk.

The first exploratory stage of the work commences today, 14 March, to establish the extent of the issue.

According to NRW's project executive, Jared Gethin, heavy machinery will be present on South Beach over the next few days.

This follows a report made by a member of the public who noticed water flowing across the beach on 26 February.

"The NRW-managed culvert conveying the Afon Ritec is thought to have ruptured at a point before its usual sea outfall," said Mr Gethin.

"During high river levels, surfacing water on South Beach is evident and currently scouring a channel along the beach.

“Without emergency intervention the rupture presents risks to the ecology of the area, which is a designated Site of Special Scientific Interest, to the health and safety of beach-goers and potentially lead to an increased risk of flooding."

He also stated that once the extent of the breach is determined, NRW can proceed with appropriate repairs.

There will be closures and diversions in place in the South Beach car park and on the beach, with NRW urging people to comply for safety reasons.

The works are set to last between two days to one week, depending on the findings from today’s exploratory stage.

Afon Ritec was culverted in the latter half of the 19th Century when a railway extension connecting Tenby to the Great Western mainline at Whitland was completed.