Riders enjoying major Wiltshire landslip warned they are 'putting their lives at risk'
Skaters and BMX riders have been embracing the natural phenomenon over recent months
Last updated 18th May 2022
Thrill seekers who have been riding on a major landslip in Lyneham over recent months are "putting their lives at risk," says Wiltshire Council.
Skateboarders, BMX riders and scooter-lovers have been among those enjoying the natural phenomenon that is the B4069, since its tarmac started to buckle and crack.
Si Coburn travelled from Gloucester to visit the site in February, when the landslip started, after seeing people discuss it online.
"Straight away, I was like: 'Oh my God! Where is this?... We need to go there'.
"It's a one-off thing, you never really see anything like that," he told Greatest Hits Radio.
'It had the right sort of transitions, angles, heights'
Si says gliding over the site was an "amazing" experience, one that he shared with fellow skater Ollie Jones.
The latter describes the B4069 as looking like "a skate park that somebody had designed," comparing it to a "Universal film set".
"It had the right sort of transitions, angles, heights and everything. Even the surface looked like it was quite recent, quite new and smooth," Ollie added.
Other skaters are known to have subsequently visited the rural site, known locally as Lyneham Banks.
'It is illegal to go and do that activity'
Following the landslip, the road had to be closed to both vehicles and pedestrians. The surface of the carriageway is continuing to move and decay.
Councillor Dr Mark McClelland, who oversees transport for Wiltshire Council, has warned that the B4069 is still "incredibly dangerous" for anyone to access.
"People are literally putting their lives at risk if they take part in this activity. There are traffic orders in place, so it is illegal to go and do that activity - and police will be monitoring that.
"We're talking about an enormous amount of material that has been deposited on the road here," he told Greatest Hits Radio.
When asked if he sympathised with riders who wanted to use the site recreationally, Cllr McClelland said he "can certainly understand why they would want to do it".
"(However) from my perspective, it's very dangerous for them do so and that's why we're strongly urging them not to ... break the law," he added.
An investigation has since been launched by the Council, assessing how and why the carriageway was damaged so dramatically. The scale of the landslip means repairing it will cost the taxpayer more than £1 million.
Whilst recognising the frustration the road closure has caused for local residents, the authority has vowed to do "everything it can" to get Lyneham Banks "back to normal".
Despite this, it's expected the B4069 will remain shut well into 2023.
What does the landslip currently look like?
The ripped road was reportedly caused by rainwater
Fault lines on the road surface suggest that further damage could be imminent
Residents, motorists and pedestrians are being warned to avoid the area
Wiltshire Council insists it's encouraging people to "continue supporting businesses" in the area that may be affected by the closure