LANDSLIPS have taken place along the coast in Weymouth close to a much-loved path which is due to be reopened.

It has been claimed - although not confirmed by the Echo - that the Underbarn path may even be blocked by the movement of the cliff near Castle Cove.

The picturesque Underbarn - from Bincleaves Green to Castle Cove Beach - was closed by the local authority in 2001 due to safety concerns following landslips. 

Following a sustained community campaign, Dorset Council says it is now safe to reopen and has begun the legal process to try and restore the popular route.

READ MORE: The 'most beautiful walk in Weymouth' may re-open after more than 20 years

This decision was met with some opposition with one resident claiming "lives will be at risk" if the path were to reopen.

Old Castle Road resident Dave Askew spoke to the Echo last month about his concerns and claimed the path is even less stable than it was 20 years ago.

READ MORE: Landowner says Underbarn Walk too dangerous to re-open

But the chairman of the Friends of Castle Cove Beach charity Steve Elsworth, who also lives in the area, disagrees that the path is dangerous and believes that the risk of landslips is no greater than anywhere else on the Jurassic Coast.

The Echo has reported on numerous landslips along the Dorset coast in recent weeks amid a very wet winter which has made the cliffs very unstable.

This included a dramatic landslip on Lulworth Cove caught on camera on February 11 and boulders from a cliff falling onto a footpath at Durdle Door on February 23. 

There has also been movement on the South West Coast Path on Portland and at Bowleaze Cove in Weymouth, both last month. West Dorset cliffs have also seen significant falls this winter.

Brian Hallworth was litter picking along Castle Cove and Sandsfoot Beach at the end of last week when he noticed land slippage in the area, although it's not clear when this exactly occurred.

Former electrician Mr Hallworth goes out litter picking regularly in the Weymouth area with his dog May, a Cockapoo.

He takes photographs of the rubbish he finds on the beaches and posts the pictures to social media in an attempt to raise awareness of littering.

He said: "I do regular litter picks along the foreshore at Castle Cove and Sandsfoot Beach and I've noticed that this winter has seen a much bigger increase in the land slippage all along that area. The pictures I took are just a small example of the many areas of slippage."

Dorset Echo:

After posting images of the landslips to Facebook, he was informed that the path currently being cleared to reinstate the Underbarn Walk has also been blocked by a landslide.

The Echo has not been able to confirm this statement.

Dorset Echo:

Steve Elsworth, the Chair of Trustees for the Friends of Castle Cove Beach, says these landslips as not serious and is still hopeful for the reopening of the popular coastal walk to continue as planned. 

He said: "The ground is liable to move with this sort of weather. There are always concerns about landslips, they're a part of living on the coast.

"If there are landslips, I don’t think it will be a great threat to human life.

"We just want to try and restore this historic path. We’re hoping it won’t delay things further, as far as I can tell, the landslips look relatively small but you would expect them in this type of weather."