Ventnor cliffs at risk of further movement after landslide

An area of the Isle of Wight coast where a stretch of cliff collapsed is at risk of further landslides, a council has warned.

Residents from 20 homes on Leeson Road, Ventnor, had to leave after the vast collapse on Sunday night.

Isle of Wight Council said stress fractures had been detected in the surrounding coastal area.

The road and footpaths between Shanklin and Ventnor, on the south-east coast of the island, have been closed.

One resident said: "It is a huge, huge landslip - I have never seen anything like it in the 40 years we've been here.

"There have been slips during that time… but nothing on the scale of this one, it is absolutely huge."

Natasha Dix, from Isle of Wight Council, said: "The amount of land that has moved is very significant, it has dropped in a way that we have not seen for a very long time.

"There are stress fractures that move across much of the coastal area here which tells us there's likely to be some smaller movements outside of this very large landslide."

Aerial photos captured by Island Echo showed the extent of the massive landslip which has left nearby homes teetering on the edge.

Residents who are out of their homes are being allowed to return to their properties for "short periods of time only" between 10:00-16:00 GMT, the council said.

The authority added the affected properties were being monitored by security staff.

A council helpline for residents affected has been set up on 01983 823111.

The authority is urging people to stay away from the Bonchurch area while the impact of the landslide is assessed.

Drivers are being diverted from Ventnor, via Wroxall, and from Shanklin, via Whiteley Bank.

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