Warning after people stand dangerously close to crumbling cliff edge at West Bay
A number of people have been pictured standing dangerously close to the edge of a crumbling cliff in Dorset.
On Monday (2 January) thousands of visitors descended on West Bay near Bridport to make the most of the sunshine, with many enjoying a coastal walk.
Two people were photographed standing close to the edge with one man appearing to be leaning forward to take a picture.
The photos have prompted warning to stay away from the edge of the cliffs as they can crumble without notice.
Along the paths, there are signs alerting people that it is not safe to venture beyond the designated walking routes.
One witness, who asked not to be named, said the pair could be clearly seen near the edge of the cliff from afar.
He said: "I was walking along the harbour and I looked towards the cliffs at the people.
"I could make out even at a distance how close the pair were to the cliff edge, but my phone's camera showed how close they were to the edge.
"They weren't dangling over the edge, but it was a risky place to be."
The Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) has issued a fresh warning after being made aware of the pictures.
After seeing these recent pictures, an MCA spokesperson said: "When standing at the bottom of a cliff, we would always advise people that they shouldn’t stand less than the height of the cliff away.
"That means that if the cliff is 25 metres high, don’t go closer than 25 metres towards it.
“The cliffs along the UK coastline are continually eroding, with pieces falling that can be just a few small rocks or as large as a car.
"It’s impossible to predict when the next piece might fall or how big it will be. Periods of intense rainfall will often make cliff edges more vulnerable.
“We really can’t stress enough how important it is to keep back from the edge.
"There is no ‘safe’ place to be. Some of the cracks that have appeared have been several feet away from the edge.
"Don’t be tempted to go and investigate and don’t risk going to the edge to get a dramatic picture.“Please enjoy your coastal walk, but make sure you and your loved ones come home again safely.
"As ever, our message is, ‘Keep safe, but if you see anybody in trouble or if you get into difficulty, call 999 and ask for the Coastguard’.”
Landslips and rock falls regularly occur at the cliffs at West Bay and see hundreds of tonnes of rocks and boulders the size of cars fall without warning.22-year-old tourist Charlotte Blackman died in 2012 when there was a huge landslip as she walked under the cliffs further along the same stretch of coast.