Walkers urged to avoid Isle of Wight promenade due to large cliff fall

Walkers on the Isle of Wight are being urged to avoid an area of promenade near Totland due to a large cliff fall.

Tonnes of rock and soil has fallen across the sea wall and onto the beach below just north of Totland pier.

The pathway has been closed and the Island's council is advising people to observe the barriers and signage as well as staying away from the debris, said to be not safe.

A further section of promenade between the Waterfront pub and Widdick Chine has also been closed following the discovery of voids beneath the path.

Natasha Dix, the council's service director for environment, said: "Following our recent inspections, we believe it is not safe for people to be walking on this section of the wall until we have a clear idea of the extent of the damage.

We would like to continue to remind the community that we are still in a very wet and stormy period in which there will be rockfalls, cliff falls and increased landslide risk.

We would advise the community to stay alert to these risks when at the coast and staying away from potentially dangerous parts of the coastline."

The local authority is also warning about a smaller landfall at the rear of a private property in Ventnor.

It's affecting Zig Zag Road - which will remain closed pending a further review by Island Roads.

A spokesperson said:

“During the site visit, we engaged with residents to provide updates. Additionally, we have spoken with the owners of the property affected, who emphasise that the retaining wall failure occurred in January.

While some additional material has come down, comprehensive surveys have been conducted, and engineering designs for repair are already in progress.

We anticipate that more mud may move today; however, it is unlikely to cause any immediate issues.

Our Council’s Building Control Team will conduct a site visit later today to further assess the area where possible.

Due to the current low level of risk, we will closely monitor the situation, and any changes will be promptly communicated."

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