Warning after five cliff falls along Devon coast in one day

People are being urged not to walk along a stretch of coastline where five cliff falls happened in one day.

The cliff falls were recorded between Sidmouth's East Beach and Salcombe Mouth Beach in Devon on Sunday morning.

Lifeguard teams and police officers spent the day moving on dozens of people that were walking along the beaches close to the cliffs.

East Devon District Council said it did not manage or own the land where the falls took place.

Guy Russell, lifeguard supervisor, said there was "very good signage" telling people not to walk there.

Mr Russell, who works at Sidmouth beach, said: "I've worked on that beach for 10 years, I've lived in Sidmouth all my life, this is the biggest cliff fall I've ever seen.

"The danger was people were on East Beach, east of the river mouth in Sidmouth, under the cliffs that were literally falling down around them.

"It's a common occurrence.

"East Devon District Council is very good with their signage but it was a very low tide which meant people could walk around the sea defence which they normally couldn't do, so access was much easier."

The council has urged locals and tourists to enjoy East Devon cliffs "from a distance" and to not climb or sit directly beneath them".

A spokesperson said: "The locations of the recent cliff falls at East Beach/Pennington Point are outside land owned and managed by East Devon District Council.

"The risk of cliff falls is well signed in this area, so members of the public should adhere to warnings to stay well clear of the cliffs and not access East Beach as it is closed for safety reasons."

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