Unique relics from the Second World War which lay hidden for more than 70 years have been uncovered on Sussex’s coast.

Four anti-tank blocks – constructed during the bleak summer of 1940 to safeguard the beaches and roads of Worthing – have been discovered in a quarry near Storrington.

Martin Mace, editor of Britain at War Magazine, led the project to preserve the historic artefacts for future generations.

He said: “Such was the desire to return Worthing to its pre-war state that within twelve months of the end of the war almost no evidence of the coastal defences that had once existed in the town remained.

“The anti-tank blocks that have been recovered provide a remarkable link to the events of the Second World War and therefore their recovery is of great importance.”

Measuring six feet square and weighing between six and seven tons, the blocks were referred to as the Coastal Crust and acted as the first line of defence against German seaborne invasion.

These defences were spread predominantly across the beaches of Sussex and consisted of pillboxes, gun batteries and rifle posts, reinforced by thousands of miles of barbed wire, minefields, trenches and anti-tank blocks.

A survey taken in October 1945 revealed some 391 antitank blocks stretched from corner to corner along Worthing’s shores, from Brougham Road in the east to Sea Lane in the west.

Contractor Tamdown Group worked with the Britain at War Magazine to help preserve Worthing’s wartime heritage after this latest discovery.