Villagers have been left stranded after a road collapsed amid 12ft waves during a storm. An entire stretch of the A379 near Torcross, Devon, was washed away as the coast was lashed by the sea on Monday (February 16).

The route connecting Torcross and the neighbouring village of Slapton had already been damaged when sea defences were destroyed in January's storms. Part of the road, known as The Slapton Line, were rendered completely impassable.

Lib-Dem MP, Caroline Voaden, is reported to have told locals the road may be closed for a year "at least".

Ms Voaden was reported by The Sun on Wednesday as saying: "Before this disaster, I had been calling for far greater government support for coastal communities being battered by more intense and frequent storms. Today those calls take on an even greater resonance."

The MP raised the issue at Prime Minister's Questions last week and met ministers to discuss coastal defences as well as accessing a £10.5billion coastal erosion fund.

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said the damage was "very concerning" and the Government was investing to enhance flood and coastal defences.

South Devon's MP said there had been "some progress" on roads funding, but "little clarity" on whether or not the Government would step in with funding for a "more ambitious" long term scheme for the area.

Torcross resident, Steve Kilpatrick, said the situation was "very difficult". He voiced concerns about how emergency services vehicles would access the village, adding: "It's very serious."

Ms Voaden told the Daily Express it was up to the Government to decide whether it would fund the repairs.

She said: "No one who has seen the damage to the A379 Slapton Line will be surprised by the roughly £18million needed to fix it."

The MP said which way the Government goes would not only determine the future of the A379, but also signal how they intend to deal with coastal erosion more broadly.

She said Sir Keir Starmer's response to her call to find a long term solution to coastal erosion had left her unconvinced that he recognised the seriousness of the problem.

Ms Voaden added: "I fear that a Government all too happy to spend billions on Northern Powerhouse Rail is unwilling to part with the cash needed to protect communities on the frontline of our fight against climate change."

She asked: "How many communities will the Government be willing to see washed into the sea?"

Devon County Council leader Julian Brazil said: "It's devastating for the local community, and our priority is the families whose lives and livelihoods are directly affected by this.

"The route is not looking good and we're likely to be looking at tens of millions of pounds to repair it. The county can't afford to rebuild the road and we're desperately looking for help from Government."

Travelling between the two villages now requires following a longer route through the villages of Frittiscombe and Stokenham.

A Government spokesperson told the BBC earlier this month that it is providing over £433million for roads maintenance in the area over the next four years.

A Defra spokesperson said previously: "We're committed to supporting coastal communities, including in the South West, through our record investment of £10.5billion in protecting against flooding and coastal erosion by 2036, benefitting nearly 900,000 properties."

They also said the Government inherited flood defences in the worst condition on record and had reprioritised more than £100m in urgent maintenance works across the country.