AROUND 200 tons of cliffside broke away and fell at St Audries Bay last week, taking away stone walling and an earth bank and threatening a track used by holidaymakers and coast path walkers.

The fall was discovered early on Saturday and although emergency fencing in place and the path down to the beach is still passable, people are being warned not to go down.

Locals say it was lucky that no-one was there when it happened.

local resident, Kenn Everard, said the path was not advisable for pleasure walking.

“There is temporary netting and a narrow track people can walk down with great care, but it’s not advisable,” he said.

“People go down there a lot. It’s sheer luck there was no-one there at the time.”

The track is on the land of Patricia Nethercott, who runs Home Farm Holiday Centre with her husband and partners, and it is part of an old roadway from there down to the beach.

“We will just have to build a barrier and people will be able to continue walking to the beach,” she said.

“But we are waiting to consult Natural England and Somerset County Council about where we go from here. They will be involved before any decisions are made.”