A method of embedding an additional layer of error correction into an error correcting code, where information is encoded into code words that are arranged in columns of a code block. The method includes reducing the length of each row of the code block by adding row symbols together according to a predetermined adding rule resulting in a reduced code block; encoding the shortened rows of the reduced code block using a horizontal error correcting code to obtain horizontal parities; and embedding the horizontal parities as additional layer in the error correcting code.