Safety advice following West Bay cliff fall
Dorset Council's closed part of the South West Coast Path
Part of the South West Coast Path has been closed at West Bay, for safety reasons.
It follows a large cliff fall on Tuesday evening (8th August), which has been blocking a section of the beach below too.
The dramatic moment has been captured in a video, shared by Dorset Council.
The authority's issued advice to keep people after the cliff fall.
They've there's a set of 'golden rules':
- Stay away from the edge of the cliff top - admire the view from a safe distance
- Stay away from the base of cliffs: rock falls and landslides can happen at any time. If you are under a rock fall, the likelihood is you will die
- Pay attention to warning signs – they are there for your safety
- Check tide times before you set off to avoid being cut off by incoming tides
- Keep dogs on leads near the cliff edge
There have been a number of cliff falls along the Dorset coastline in recent months, caused in part by the changeable weather throughout the summer, ranging from blistering heat to heavy rain, which can make the rocks less stable.