Dramatic moment huge chunk of cliff collapses onto a beach at a Devon beauty spot in front of shocked tourists
- Shocking footage shows sections of a cliff collapsing on the Devon coast
- Witnesses in the town of Sidmouth say they saw two separate cliff collapses
- People were seen gathering round the cliff behind metal railings as it crumbled
A huge chunk of cliff has collapsed in a seaside town in front of onlookers who stood just metres away.
Ellie Williams was out walking her dog on the seafront at Sidmouth, Devon at around 10.30am on Monday morning when she first noticed small trickles of soil going down the cliff.
She said before long she saw large chunks of the cliff gave way in two separate collapses.
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Going…going… A dog walker first noticed small trickles of soil going down the cliff, and saw large chunks of the cliff gave way in two separate collapses. Onlookers stood just feet below behind metal railings as parts of the cliff gave way
Video footage shows a small amount of soil run down the cliff before big chunks start falling from the top.
Onlookers stood behind metal railings below the cliff face as parts of the cliff gave way.
One shocked woman is heard to say ‘My goodness!’ as even bigger chunks of the cliff start falling off, before eventually more of the cliff beneath it gives way.
Witness Ms Williams said: ‘It was weird. The first collapse was less dramatic.
The section of beach affected had been sealed off by East Devon District Council. The Sidmouth sea front is pictured next to similar cliffs
Gone! The huge chunk of cliff collapsed this morning in Sidmouth, Devon, a picturesque seaside town
‘I could see tiny, tiny bits of soil, not even rock, just gusting down the side of the cliff then a stick would go down the smaller chunk.
‘Soil started trickling from other areas in the cliff, you got impression whole thing was going to come down.
‘People started gathering from a safe distance.
‘It was like a great big thunder crash, almost like a massive wave.
‘It’s quite windy down there and the sea is thunderous on its own.’
No one appears to have been hurt by the collapse.
The section of beach affected had been sealed off by East Devon District Council.