People are being advised to stay away after a section of a Dorest cliff collapsed onto a beach with coastguard officers at the scene.
In the early hours of this morning, a large section of the 120ft cliff at East Beach, in West Bay, Dorset fell off, leaving a 40ft pile of around 500 tonnes of rock, rubble and mud across the beach.
Coastguard officers from West Bay and Lyme Regis arrived on the scene shortly after 7:45am.
They investigated the cliff fall and put a cordon in place for people’s safety.
This is not the first time that part of the cliff in West Bay has fallen down, raising worries about beach-goers’ safety in the future.
A spokesman for HM Coastguard said: "At shortly after 7:45am today, HM Coastguard received a report of a rockfall from a cliff at East Beach, West Bay, Dorset.
"Coastguard Rescue Teams from West Bay and Lyme Regis were sent to assess the incident and information was passed to Dorset Council.”
The latest cliff fall at West Bay is one of a number that have happened in Dorset this year.
Previously, coastguards have been called to cliff falls in late May when a woman was rushed to hospital after she was hit by falling debris along the same beach.
In December 2020 an estimated 600 tonnes of rock, including boulders the size of cars, fell from the cliffs without warning.
Eight years prior, in 2012, Charlotte Blackman, 22, was killed after rockfall on the Jurassic Coast.
Tourists and residents have been frequently warned about the dangers of the cliff and warned to stay away from the cliff edge to avoid being injured.
The 180 million year old cliffs tend to break apart and be vulnerable to collapse after heavy rainfall makes the porous sandstone weaker.
Councillor Ray Bryan, Dorset Council portfolio holder for highways, travel and environment previously told the Dorset Echo: “The Jurassic Coast is a wonderful place to visit, but it's important to use common sense and caution.
"We can only advise people of the risks along our coastline.
“Please stay away from the edge and base of cliffs and always pay attention to warning signs and safety messages."
