Warning to beach visitors after cliff landslide

Walkers said rock tumbling on to a beach during a landslide sounded "like thunder".

A large section of cliff collapsed at Hunt Cliff, near Saltburn, on Sunday following weeks of high temperatures and little rain.

Paul Waugh, who lives in Brotton, was walking along the top of the cliff when he said a "tonne" of rock came loose ahead of him.

Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council leader Alec Brown asked people to put safety first when visiting the coast and avoid getting too close to the cliff.

He said: "We remind visitors that rockfalls can happen at any time.

"Please, please always put safety first and follow the simple advice of our officers – don't approach the cliff edge and stay away from the cliff base."

Waugh said the landslide sounded "like thunder" and urged walkers to avoid the base of the cliff because "you never know when it is going to fall".

"I've been walking at the top and bottom of the cliff when there have been big falls and I'm sort of used to it but it's frightening when you see people who know nothing about the coast have their kids under the cliff," he said.

Waugh said there were large cracks along the top of the cliff after all of the dry weather.

According to the British Geological Survey (BGS), the cliffs at Saltburn are made from sandstone that naturally breaks into blocks.

Over time, the blocks can become detached and fall, either in isolation or as part of a larger event.

The BGS said it had seen a "spike" in landslides and rockfalls over the summer months.

Engineering geohazard geologist Claire Dashwood said: "Research suggests there may be a link between rockfalls and high temperatures as well as extreme temperature fluctuations, though the processes involved are not yet fully understood."

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