Temporary flood barriers, which will reduce the risk of flooding in a coastal town, are set to be tested in readiness for the winter season.

A training exercise will be held in Lowestoft on Tuesday, September 8 to test the deployment of a section of the temporary flood barriers.

Each year the temporary barriers are tested with those operating the barriers put through their paces to ensure that East Suffolk Council can provide the best possible response to the threat of a North Sea tidal surge.

It will be held at Waveney Road at 7pm on September 8 as about 100m of the barrier will be deployed during a four hour night-time exercise.

David Ritchie, East Suffolk’s cabinet member for planning and coastal management, said: “It is essential that we regularly test these barriers in order to avoid the severity of flooding experienced by people and businesses in December 2013.

“If required, the temporary flood barriers are deployed in places around the town where flooding was at its worst at that time. Each year, we carry out a trial deployment to ensure we are ready to face the winter.”

After the Government awarded Lowestoft £43m in July to build permanent tidal flood walls and a tidal barrier, until these are in place the temporary barriers will be deployed.

The first phase of construction of the tidal defences will begin later this year.