The cliff at West Bay has given way in the latest rock fall at the Dorset coast.

The rock fall follows high winds and heavy rain caused by Storm Cairán throughout Wednesday night and Thursday.

It was spotted early this morning.

Read more: West Dorset coastal path now closed

Dorset Echo:

Yesterday, huge waves crashed into the cliffs as Storm Ciarán swept across Dorset, bringing with it gale force winds and torrential rain.

A Dorset Council spokesperson said: "The latest fall follows a smaller one that happened a few hours before. It was a possibility that after the bashing the cliffs had from Storm Ciaran yesterday that rockfalls and landslides would follow.

"The Jurassic Coast is a wonderful place to visit, but by its nature it is constantly eroding.
When visiting it is important to use common sense and caution – stay away from the edge and base of cliffs and always pay attention to warning signs, safety messages and the tides."

In the past, geologist Sam Scriven told the News that the location of West Bay’s cliffs means they face the ‘full force’ of any storm and ‘bear the brunt’ of bad weather.

He said people should respect the landscape and use common sense at the beach.

“People think of the British seaside as a lovely, safe, family place but the beach is part of the wilderness and nature is doing its thing there," he said.

"People need to be respectful of that. We can’t close off the beach but people need to be aware of the risks. They are beautiful cliffs and people like to marvel at them but respect them as you would the sea and act responsibly.”

Dorset Council have issued the following advice:

1. Stay away from the edge of the cliff top - admire the view from a safe distance

2. Stay away from the base of cliffs: rock falls and landslides can happen at any time. If you are under a rock fall, the likelihood is you will die

3. Pay attention to warning signs – they are there for your safety

4. Check tide times before you set off to avoid being cut off by incoming tides

5. Keep dogs on leads near the cliff edge

Read more: Clean up operation underway after storm chaos