Britain's coastline battered by high winds and waves

ROUGH CUT (NO REPORTER NARRATION)

Stormy weather battered England's coastline on Wednesday (February 5), causing widespread destruction in regions already suffering from prolonged flooding.

Despite the threat posed by the high winds and crashing waves, a pedestrian could be seen walking close to the coastline in the Devonshire town of Teignmouth overnight.

In Dawlish, on the southern coast of Devon, strong waves continued to crash against the shore on Wednesday morning. Part of the coastal town's sea wall had collapsed in the storm, destroying a section of railway tracks.

In the southern coastal town of Brighton, a section of the derelict West Pier collapsed after being battered by winds of up to 70mph (113kmh) and rough seas. The pier, which was shut down in 1975, burnt down in 2003. On Wednesday morning, part of the skeletal structure could be seen broken off in the sea waters.