West Bay sunbathers sit at bottom of cliff after landslide

West Bay sunbathers sit at bottom of cliff after landslide

Hundreds of beachgoers have been accused of 'public stupidity' after they were pictured sunbathing beneath cliffs just days after a massive landslip.

Shocking images show sun seekers relaxing feet away from an enormous pile of rubble that was left after 2,000 tonnes of rock careered from the 150ft cliff in West Bay, Dorset.

The UK coastguard, which describes the cliffs as 'very unsafe', reiterated its warning for people to stay away from the area after these pictures were taken on Saturday.

The landslip, which happened on Thursday, took out a large chunk of the South West Coast Path at the top of the East Cliff, which featured in the ITV crime drama Broadchurch.

Photos show sun seekers relaxing feet away from an enormous pile of rubble that was left after 2,000 tonnes of rock careered from the 150ft cliff in West Bay, Dorset

The UK coastguard, which describes the cliffs as 'very unsafe', reiterated its warning for people to stay away from the area

It was also just seven yards away from a green-side bunker on the 15th hole of the Bridport and West Dorset Golf Club.

It is thought the sandstone rocks had been dried out by recent hot weather and a deluge of heavy rain caused them to crumble and fall.

The photos were taken by Dorset resident Roger Sutherland, 75, who visits the popular beauty spot most weekends.

He reported seeing beachgoers inspecting the pile of 50ft high debris and taking pictures from the clifftop, despite there being signs warning against it.

Mr Sutherland, a retired engineer who now volunteers at the National Coastwatch Institution lookout station in Portland, said: 'I thought I would go and have a look at the rockfall, although I'd never go too near it because it's too dangerous. 

People do not seem to be heeding the Coastguard's warnings and are continuing to flock to the beach despite the dangers

The Coastguard said: 'It's impossible to predict when the next piece might fall or how big it will be'

Amid warnings of another landslip at any time, people could still be seen on top of the cliffs at the weekend 

Tens of thousands of sun seekers head for the Dorset coastline in the summer but are 'putting themselves in danger' by sunbathing near the unstable cliffs

Why do cliffs collapse? 

Cliffs collapse for a range of reasons.

While the most common reason is weathering, there are other factors to consider, such as water crashing against the cliff face, what the cliff is made of, and the climate of the area.

For example, softer materials, such as clay are more likely to collapse than harder materials like granite.

Bad weather naturally erodes the foundations of a cliff, and can cause it to collapse.

One of the most common examples of weathering is when rain fall affects the composition of the cliff.

As rain falls, it seeps into the permeable gravel and soil at the top of the cliff, adding weight to it.

At the same time, colder winter temperatures can cause the face of this cliff to freeze, as frozen areas weaken as they thaw.

If a cliff is against a body of water, such as a sea or ocean, waves crashing on the cliff can also weaken it over time.

Cliffs can also collapse as the result of rock slides, when whole slabs of rock detach from an inclined face and collapse, or as a result of mud slides, when wet soil and weak rocks fall.

'When I got there the beach was very crowded and despite lots of warning signs people were still at the botto m of the cliff right next to where the fall was.

'I was thinking 'if there's another landslip you're going to get seriously hurt'.

'I glanced upwards and saw people at the edge of the cliff taking pictures, I thought 'what idiots'.

'That cliff could go at any time, especially given the weather we have had with the rain and then the heat but people don't seem to care. It's ridiculous.'

Thursday's landslip came only two days after another fall at the same beach.

A spokesman for West Bay coastguard said people are putting their own lives at risk, as well as the lives of the emergency services by going too close to the rockfall.

They said: 'By ignoring the warning signs people are putting themselves at extreme risk in a place of danger that has been closed for safety reasons.

'We would strongly urge all members of the public to adhere to the closure and not to climb on the rock fall.

'People are putting themselves at risk and the coastguard and police then have to put their own officers at risk for public stupidity.'

A spokesman for the Maritime and Coastguard Agency said: 'The cliffs along the coastline are continually eroding and we've seen a number of cliff collapses in recent weeks.

'It's impossible to predict when the next piece might fall or how big it will be.

'It's very clear that the cliffs are very unstable in places and we really can't stress enough how important it is to keep back from the edge. There is no safe place to be.

The sweeping Dorset scenery provided the backdrop for the hit ITV series Broadchurch but the beach where parts of the show was filmed was this morning blocked off after thousands of tonnes of rock gave way following heavy rain

Part of the stunning coastline has now been closed off after tonnes of rock gave way following heavy rain fall 

Police had last year closed East Beach and the cliff path after the massive cliff fall at West Bay in Dorset

'One of our biggest problems is tackling the 'selfie culture' where people take risks to get a dramatic photograph of themselves on a dangerous cliff edge - no selfie or photograph is worth risking your life for.

'Don't be tempted to go and investigate and don't risk going to the edge to get a dramatic picture.'

Warning signs are to remain on a permanent basis. 

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