Shocking moment idiot tourist stands on edge of crumbling 120ft-high Broadchurch cliffs just days after rockfall
THIS is the shocking moment an idiot tourist risked his life as he stood at the edge of a crumbling cliff.
The walker sparked outrage as he bypassed warning signs to stay away from precarious edge - overlooking a 150ft fall.
Just two days ago more than 1,000 tonnes of rock and car-sized boulders broke away from the cliff and plummeted towards West Bay beach, Dorset.
This was also the set location for popular TV drama Broadchurch starring David Tennant and Olivia Coleman.
An eyewitness told : "We went for a walk along the cob and were stood on the end looking out when we heard a loud thunder-type noise and looked over to see a huge chunk of cliff falling.
"Then a few seconds later an even bigger chunk fell followed by a plume of dust."
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Fortunately, the bad weather had kept people away from the beach at the time of the rockfall and no one was injured.
Local residents shared their opinions on social media, someone posted: "That's definitely the largest rock fall I have seen at West Bay."
While another commented: "That’s the biggest I’ve ever seen - so dangerous for local people now."
"It's got too dangerous to walk in that area," a third agreed.
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Despite the recent erosion, the idiotic walker positioned himself right in the danger zone.
"Local people aren't so daft as to walk anywhere near the cliffs," one resident wrote.
Sam Scriven, of Dorset Council's Jurassic Coast Team, said: "We urge people to stay away from the cliff edge.
"Rock falls like this show exactly how dangerous it can be.
"Walking on the edge of that cliff at the moment is taking your life into your own hands.
"We have had a period of very wet weather recently and that has come after a very wet winter.
"The entire Jurassic Coast is very mobile at the moment. We have had recent collapses at Charmouth and Lulworth Cove in recent weeks.
"We put up extra warning signs after events like this so that nobody can accidentally wander into danger.
"We can never say for sure when one of these cliff collapses has finished."
He explained that the sandstone cliffs are 180-million-years-old and cliff collapse renders them incredibly fragile.
After the breakaway on Wednesday, a 60ft pile of rocks now sits below the 150ft gaping hole in the cliff face.
Posting on Facebook, Dorset Council also said: "Please stay away and do not attempt to clamber over the pile.
"You would be putting yourself and others at risk.
"The heavy rain we've had over the last few weeks has made cliffs right along the Jurassic Coast unstable and more prone to rockfalls.
"Do keep away from the base of cliffs and if walking along the top of the cliffs walk well away from the edge."
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These warnings should be taken seriously as in 2012 one tourist, Charlotte Blackman, was crushed to death by a landslip.
The 22-year-old walked underneath the cliff along a stretch of the Jurassic Coast World Heritage Site at Burton Bradstock.
