Weymouth Jurassic Coast cliff crack leads to slippage

A giant crack that first appeared on a cliff top on Dorset's Jurassic Coast a year ago has developed into a significant landslip.

The fissure on the South West Coast path between Bowleaze Cove and Redcliff Point first appeared last March.

The initial drop in the cracked section was just over 1m (3ft) but the land has since fallen away further.

Dorset County Council said the landslide was likely to continue for some time.

"Looking along this 300ft-long crack which last year had a six foot drop, now the drop must be at least 25 or 30 ft," BBC reporter at the scene Laurence Herdman said.

Sam Scriven, the county council's Jurassic Coast World Heritage Site earth science manager, said: "This landslide has progressed quite a lot since it began and the slipped material is now collapsing further.

"This is exactly what we would expect and it will continue for some time to come.

"As always, we would encourage people to not stand near the cliff edge, where the rocks might still be unstable, and take care when exploring the beach below as rock falls will be more common as a result of the slip."

The original drop in the cracked section was just over 1m (3ft), the coastguard said at the time.

Source: Dorset County Council/Jurassic Coast World Heritage Site