Burton Bradstock Landslide

A young woman killed when she was trapped underneath a substantial rockfall at a coastal beauty spot in Dorset was "10ft from safety", an inquest has heard.

Charlotte Blackman, 22, was strolling along Freshwater Beach with her family when around 400 tonnes of rock from the Jurassic Coastline cliffs crashed down on top of her, killing her almost instantly.

Her boyfriend, Matthew Carnell, was walking alongside Miss Blackman, from Derbyshire, on July 24 when he noticed the start of the landslide.

The inquest at Dorchester County Hall heard that she died accidentally, as the result of an "act of nature".

Coroner Sheriff Payne told the hearing that Miss Blackman's death could not have been predicted.

He said: "Sadly, Charlotte Blackman died as a result of an accident. It was a sudden act of nature that nobody could have predicted at that time."

An inquest will resume today into the death of a woman who was crushed by 400 tonnes of rock that fell from a cliff at Burton Bradstock in Dorset.

22 year old Charlotte Blackman, from Derbyshire, was on holiday with her family and boyfriend when the accident happened.

Today's hearing, at Dorchester county hall, is expected to last one day.

The family of a woman who was killed by a landslide while walking on a beach in Dorset have described today how their holiday turned into 'a living nightmare'. Charlotte Blackman, from Derbyshire, was crushed when part of a cliff collapsed.

Today she was described as an "inspirational, beautiful young lady." Tanya Mercer reports.

Beaches along the Jurassic Coast in Dorset have reopened.

They were closed after a 22-year-old woman died in a landslide in Burton Bradstock on Tuesday. Charlotte Blackman was crushed by 400 tonnes of rock.

Dorset County Council says the stretch between the Freshwater Holiday Park and Hive beach remains closed until further safety assessments have been carried out.

The British Geological Survey (BGS) Landslide Response Team have returned from Dorset with an initial assessment of the landslide at Burton Bradstock.

Their report says the landslide, which tragically killed a young woman from Derbyshire, was due to a combination of factors including fractures in the rocks, coastal erosion (that has undermined the cliff) and the recent wet weather.

Dr Helen Reeves, Head of the Landslide Response Team at the BGS, said:

“For this time of year, there have been an unusually large number of landslide events. This is reflected in the BGS National Landslide Database records which show 13 similar events have occurred in the past month.

This is more than 10 times what might normally be expected at this time of year”.

Tributes have been paid to the woman killed in a landslide on a beach in Dorset yesterday. Twenty two year old Charlotte Blackman from Derbyshire died when she was crushed by rocks at Burton Bradstock. Two other people managed to escape.

Charlotte's uncle described her as a fun loving woman who had her whole life in front of her. Richard Lawrence reports.

Dorset Police described today how throughout the nine hour operation to find a woman trapped by a landslip they had hoped they would find her alive. They told ITV West Country today that it had very much been a 'search and rescue' operation rather than a 'search and recovery' one.

After a painstaking operation the body of 22-year-old Charlotte Blackman was pulled from the rubble.

In this extended interview with Inspector Mike Darby from Dorset Police he describes what is being done following yesterday's tragic events.

A man who witnessed the landslide in Dorset that claimed the life of 22-year-old Charlotte Blackman has described how he tried to rescue her. David Warren told ITV Westcountry about the traumatic moments leading up to the tragedy and his attempts to get her out.

People are being warned to be careful walking near cliffs in East Devon. It follows the death of a woman in West Dorset yesterday and several recent cliff falls along the East Devon coastline.

Work is ongoing in Devon to make safe landslip sites at Budleigh Salterton, Sidmouth, Seaton and Axmouth Harbour.

The Coroner has opened and adjourned the inquest into the death of Charlotte Anne Blackman, the 22-year-old from Derbyshire who was killed when part of a 160ft-high cliff collapsed in Dorset.