▁population ▁of ▁ 1 5 9 . ▁Most ▁residents ▁of ▁H alls ands ▁at ▁that ▁time ▁dep ended ▁on ▁fish ing ▁for ▁a ▁living , ▁particularly ▁c rab ▁fish ing ▁on ▁the ▁nearby ▁S ker ries ▁Bank . ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁ 1 8 9 0 s , ▁following ▁a ▁scheme ▁proposed ▁by ▁Sir ▁John ▁Jackson , ▁it ▁was ▁decided ▁to ▁expand ▁the ▁naval ▁dock yard ▁at ▁Key ham , ▁near ▁P ly mouth , ▁and ▁d red ging ▁began ▁off sh ore ▁from ▁H alls ands ▁to ▁provide ▁sand ▁and ▁gra vel ▁for ▁its ▁construction . ▁So on , ▁up ▁to ▁ 1 , 6 0 0   tons ▁of ▁material ▁was ▁being ▁removed ▁each ▁day , ▁and ▁the ▁level ▁of ▁the ▁beach ▁began ▁to ▁drop , ▁much ▁to ▁the ▁alarm ▁of ▁local ▁residents . ▁The ▁Board ▁of ▁Trade ▁agreed ▁to ▁establish ▁a ▁local ▁inqu iry ▁in ▁response ▁to ▁protest s ▁from ▁vill agers , ▁who ▁fe ared ▁that ▁the ▁d red ging ▁might ▁dest abil ise ▁the ▁beach ▁and ▁thereby ▁threaten ▁the ▁village . ▁The ▁inqu iry ▁found ▁that ▁the ▁activity ▁was ▁not ▁likely ▁to ▁pose ▁a ▁significant ▁threat ▁to ▁the ▁village , ▁so ▁d red ging ▁continued . ▁By ▁ 1 9 0 0 , ▁however , ▁the ▁level ▁of ▁the ▁beach ▁had ▁started ▁to ▁fall . ▁In ▁ 1 9 0 0 s ▁aut umn ▁storm s , ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁sea ▁wall ▁was ▁was hed ▁away . ▁In ▁November ▁ 1 9 0 0 , ▁vill agers ▁pet