THEY were meant to be Britain’s last line of defence in the event of a German invasion.

Obstacles known as Admiralty Scaffolding were deployed on beaches along the south coast to prevent Nazi tanks storming ashore after being shipped across the Channel.

Many of the barriers were placed at or just above the high water mark to prevent tanks gaining enough momentum to break through.

They were installed in 1940-41, when a German invasion was thought to be imminent and the rapid construction of fortifications left much of southern England looking like a battlefield.

Some of the barriers were left in place after the war ended in 1945.

Now, after rusting away for more than 70 years, several sections of scaffolding are finally being removed from the beach at the base of Hordle Cliff.

New Forest District Council is taking advantage of exceptionally low tides to dismantle the most prominent sections.

A council spokesman said: “The jagged metal defences are partially buried in the sand just below the waterline but emerge periodically due to beach erosion caused by rough weather.

“The Spring tides allow heavy machinery to access parts of the beach that are usually under water.”

Kevin Coghlan Plant and Transport is using two 21-tonne excavators – one of which is fitted with a long arm that gives it a reach of 30 metres.

The spokesman said: “The excavator is positioned just above the waterline at low tide and reaches into the sea to lift out the metal.

“A second excavator is fitted with a griddle bucket that resembles a giant sieve. The machine sifts out the sand and pebbles and retains the metal, which is deposited in a compound for removal.

“A New Forest National Park Authority archaeologist is ensuring that a record is kept of this historically significant relic.”

As reported in the Daily Echo, work had to be suspended after the discovery of an anti-submarine mortar.

The area was cordoned off while a Royal Navy bomb disposal team from Portsmouth dealt with the device, which was destroyed in a controlled explosion.

Admiralty Scaffolding was placed on the beach by the Wiltshire Regiment in 1940-41.

“Over the decades much of the structure disappeared below the sea bed but constant coastal erosion caused new sections to reappear regularly,” said the council spokesman.

“For the last nine years the council has been removing them as they emerge. Further removal is scheduled for the next Spring tide from April 24.”

Thankfully the invasion the barriers aimed to halt never came – Operation Sea Lion never progressed beyond a preliminary assembly of forces.

As it turned out, it was the Allies who did the invading.

Southampton and the New Forest were a hive of activity during the war, with most of the action taking place during the build-up to the D-Day landings in 1944.

Lepe was one of the construction sites for the Mulberry Harbour – huge concrete pontoons that were towed across the Channel to keep the invasion force supplied.

In a separate scheme fuel was pumped to the continent using Pipeline Under The Ocean (PLUTO), which stretched from Lepe to France.

Exbury House and the Beaulieu River were among the other Forest sites involved in preparations for the invasion, which changed the course of the war.