The top of the cliff in Newquay gave way (Picture: Cornwall Council)
Dramatic images show how part of a popular Cornish beach was cordoned off due to a cliff collapse, with people pictured still sunbathing underneath after the rocks tumbled down.
Authorities warned beachgoers to keep away from the area in Newquay’s Great Western Beach while the area is inspected and secured.
Images showed rocks and debris on the ground, with buildings perched on the edge of the clifftop above where the fall happened.
Cornwall Council announced the collapse today, one of the sunniest days of the year so far with the Met Office predicting a heatwave and the beach busy with summer holiday tourists.
Commenting on the council’s Facebook announcement about the fall, one woman wrote: ‘Feels as if Newquay is falling into the sea.’
Others said the fall could be related to the large amount of rain recently making the ground unstable.
Others commenting criticised beachgoers for ignoring advice and pitching their towels too close to the cliffs, in case the fall had not finished.
‘People definitely need to stay well away as that’s very dangerous,’ Brenda Jacobi wrote. ‘We don’t want any injured or dead people the emergency services are working flat out already. So please take care everyone.’
Earlier this year, a cliff was filmed collapsing into the sea like a sandcastle in West Bay, Dorset.
Following the incident, the Dorset Council warned of a ‘greater risk of landslides and rockfalls’.
It said: ‘Please take extra care if you’re visiting the coast this weekend, rock falls and landslips can happen quickly and without warning.
‘Please take notice of signage and stay away from the edge and base of cliffs.’
Homes built on the cliffside boast stunning views, but they can also be a risky buy, as a man in Hemsby found out.
Writing in Metro last year, Kevin Jordan said of his home on the Norfolk coast: ’Before I bought the house, marine surveyors told me that it would be safe for about another 100 years
‘But it won’t even last another 100 days – I’ve been told by council officials that I must leave today because my house is unsafe and has to be demolished.’
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