Mevagissey trader Lisa Newsham said: "A few days ago we had to go out and buy some sand bags because it was the first spring tide. "The local businesses were quite panicked about this.

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Then, in October 2014, they packed up their life and their 18-month-old son and took over the Kings Arms, an equally disreputable fishermen’s boozer, just off the working harbour of Mevagissey.