Householders whose cliff-top homes could be destroyed by coastal erosion may have to pay some of the £5 million needed to protect their properties.

A draft study conducted for Rother District Council identified ways to stop the cliffs at Rockmead Road, Fairlight, near Hastings, crumbling into the sea.

The preferred option would be to build a protective wall on the beach and a series of boreholes to cut ground water levels on the cliff top.

However, the estimated £5 million cost is too much for the council.

Officials say even with funding from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) it would still cost the council up to £3.25 million.

So officers suggest residents should meet some of the cost.

The proposal has failed to win the support of some householders who believe any attempt to shore up the defences has come too late.

Former RAF engineer Nick Carter, 84, saw his £180,000 four-bedroom cottage swept into the sea five years ago.

Now he lives alone with his two dogs in a mobile home just 15 yards from the cliff that took his home.

He said: "If they had come up with this idea 15 years ago I would have supported it.

"It's far too late to be talking about this. I suggest it would be cheaper to buy the properties that are under threat and rent them back to the people that own them."

Dr John Sinclair, of the Fairlight Cove Preservation Trust, said: "We don't know how much we might have to put in. It would not exactly appeal to those who have already lost their houses.

"And even those who are very close to the edge, such as myself, might not want to put money in if work is not going to take place for a few years."

Already five houses have been swept away in Fairlight since 1999. In 100 years' time geotechnical engineers predict up to 195 of the village's 760 homes could fall.

Efforts have been made to halt the erosion in parts of the village.

In 1989 and 1990, 500 metres of coastline protection made of granite blocks was built, costing £3 million, before the area was made a site of special scientific interest (SSSI) by English Nature.

While the bund has proved successful, along at Rockmead Road homes are under threat because no coastal protection exists.

Strict rules govern what can be done. The area is also an area of outstanding natural beauty (AONB) and a special area for conservation (SAC).

It is home to some of Britain's most important fossils, including the footprints of dinosaurs more than 135 million years old, and organisations including English Nature are keen to preserve what exists.

The council says there is a possibility the scheme may not go ahead because of the sheer financial implications facing the authority.

A report to councillors says: "The council does not have sufficient capital resources of its own to meet this level of spending and therefore it is likely loan finance would have to be sought.

"Even with Defra funding, the financial impact on the council could be up to £3.25 million.

"In both scenarios there will be an impact on the revenue budget through either lost investment income or interest payments on the loan.

"In progressing to the next stage of detailed design, it must be recognised that the council may be unable to undertake the scheme due to the size of the financial implications to the council.

"Further discussions will be necessary with Defra to explore the funding opportunities or otherwise to see if it is possible to deliver a scheme."

The report concludes: "If the council supports the continuation of funding these works then it would now be appropriate to seek contributions from the residents or their insurers who will be the beneficiaries of these commitments.

"Therefore, before making a decision, councillors may wish to seek assurance that the residents or their insurers would or could significantly contribute towards any potential major capital outlay."